


Hell Follows Me

by LadyAudentium



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Dark Gray, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-24 13:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 78,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9737576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAudentium/pseuds/LadyAudentium
Summary: Pariah Dark has returned. Now the future of humanity rests in the hands of the one who has sought to destroy it for the past ten years, and of the one who sought to stop him. Can the two mortal enemies put aside their differences to fight this new threat? Perhaps they can, if Time is on their side. (Dark Gray)





	1. Diamond Hard- Reunions

**So here I am, once again starting something I shouldn't be. Although, after all the help that Lightning Streak gave me in writing and editing this, I felt like it would be disrespectful to not post it. Here's my take on some Dark Gray!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.**

* * *

_"No!" cried a desperate voice as a green blaze swept into a bronze face. Fear shot through the young woman's system as she realized this would be it. With her long legs still chained to the floor, the dark-haired girl realized she wouldn't be able to dodge it, and her damaged battle suit wouldn't be able to withstand the blast. Not at such close proximity. Not from such a powerful ghost. Time seemed to slow as the ghost known as Pariah Dark laughed, his green eyes shining with glee at the distress he was causing._

_"You've grown weak Danny Phantom." The silhouetted figure mocked the smaller ghost standing before him. "If you think you can defeat me in the pathetic state you are in, you are very wrong. Allow me to rid you of your weakness." Pariah Dark raised his glowing hand towards the chained woman, whose eyes were wide with fear. "Humans are nothing but an infestation, and I am their exterminator." The glow of ectoplasmic emerald blinded her._

_Scenes of her life flashed before her eyes: easier times of childhood when she didn't have to worry about fighting ghosts; early teens when the town ghost Danny Phantom first made his appearance; and then the hard years that followed of fighting off the plague of ghosts that threatened Amity Park. Chief among them the powerful Dan Phantom always leading the charge, making her life as difficult as possible. Her recent memories, surprisingly, were the happiest since before the world went to shit._

_A distant cry of "VALERIE!" and a flash of black and white were the last things she remembered before everything was smothered._

* * *

Sitting bolt upright in bed, flashes of the nightmare still danced across Valerie's vision as she ran a hair through her dark, thick tangled mess of curls. Brown skin was sticky with sweat, and her chest heaved as she gasped for air. _What had I eaten last night that had lead to that monstrosity of a dream? It was almost as if I had been…_ allied _with_ Phantom _._ She scoffed as she swung her long, muscular legs over the side of the bed, the digital red numbers on the clock reading 5:44, one minute before her alarm was to go off. _Well, not_ _like I was going to be going back to sleep anyways…_

Taking the hair elastic off her wrist, she pulled her hair back into a messy bun just to keep it out of her face while she grabbed some clean clothes out of the dresser. Sleep still had the woman slightly disoriented as she fumbled through, trying to find everything that was needed for the day. Becoming slightly frustrated with her sleep befuddled brain, slammed the disobedient drawer with a little more force than was particularly necessary as she made her way to the bathroom.

Dumping the chosen clothes rather unceremoniously on the floor, her slender fingers started up the shower. As she waited for the water to get hot, she discarded her pajamas with even less care than with the clean clothes. As the shirt cleared her head of messy curls, the reflection in the mirror caught her gaze. Examining her body in the mirror was always difficult. The silvery scars of old wounds and the light red of new ones littered her once flawless bronze skin like a mottled canvas. Most of them were from separate battles, but they could all be traced back to one person. Using the term person lightly of course, because Dan Phantom was as far from human as one could get.

For nearly ten years, he had plagued her short life, and this city. He attacked relentlessly in an attempt to get through the Ghost Shield, thankfully to no success. The city remained safe from him. A chill ran down her spine. Who knew what kind of horrors he planned to inflict on the residents of Amity Park if he ever succeeded? It was not a thought she liked to dwell on.

With steam coming from the shower, she hurriedly stepped inside and closed the curtain behind her. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to allow much time to wallow in the spray of the shower as there was still a schedule to keep and ghosts to kill. Plus, the young woman was eager to see the new weapon that the lab said would be ready for today.

Turning off the water, she pushed the curtain aside and reached for the plain red towel hung over the rack. Wrapping it securely around her hourglass figure that Paulina was incredibly jealous of, she wiped off the fogged mirror before starting to squeeze the water from her hair, teal eyes tracking the movement with ease.

Jumping in the air when her communicator started buzzing and ringing from her bedside table, she gave it a rather sullen glare before she began to make her way back into her bedroom. Gathering the mess of sodden curls over one shoulder, she pressed the button to answer the call, "Daddy?"

"Valerie, I'm glad you're up. Can you come to my office? There are a few things we need to discuss before you head beyond the shield today." There was a note of apprehension in his voice, but Valerie shrugged it off as his usual nerves at the prospect of her venturing beyond the only thing standing between them and the tyranny of Phantom.

"Yeah, just give me a few more minutes to get dressed, and I'll be right there." Ending the call, the teal-eyed woman walked back into the bathroom and quickly got dressed in thick leggings and the turtleneck shirt that she always wore underneath her battle suit. Then she put some oil in her curls to prevent them from becoming frizzy and tangled once her hair dried. Pulling on a pair of ankle boots, she strode out of her room and made her way to her father's office, the leader of the ghost resistance.

* * *

Striding confidently through the door, Valerie stood straight with her head held high as she approached her father's desk. Around him stood two other resistance members, one of which was Paulina and the other Kwan. Both bore the years of hardship on their faces, but it hadn't stopped them from fighting in each of the ways they knew how.

Paulina had become a whiz with computers and could make tech out of almost anything. She was the one mostly responsible for coming up with the designs for all of Valerie's weapons and gear. The Latina's reasoning behind it was that if Valerie was going to fight ghosts, she was going to look hot while doing it, and who better to make that happen than Paulina? The past years had forced her to mature from most of her pettiness, but it still existed in some of the things she said and did. Like everyone, she had been forced to make sacrifices, but she still refused to give up makeup. She was the only one to everyday be wearing eyeliner and mascara, but when Valerie was there to comfort her when Dash died, she realized Paulina didn't wear it to make herself feel better than everyone else, she wore it to make herself feel equal with everyone else. Turns out that all her confidence was just for show, and Paulina actually had severe issues dealing with how she saw herself. The Red Huntress had stopped harassing her about it after that.

Kwan was the leading doctor in the facility, as well as the lead researcher for anything ghost. His team was responsible for recording and researching everything she brought back before handing it over to Paulina if it had useful potential. Kwan was also one of the last to have graduated from post-secondary with an official doctorate degree. That was only a few weeks before Phantom finally got around to destroying it beyond repair. There were so many young casualties of students studying vigorously and desperately to be qualified for jobs that were sorely needed. Many of Kwan's classmates and underclassmen had died, and he had suffered survivor's guilt for over a year before he was able to save Valerie's life by donating blood to the point where he nearly passed out from blood loss himself. Normally, such a risk would not have been allowed, but they had been desperate, and it had become clear at this point that the Ghost Hunter was the only one standing between them and the cruelty of Dan Phantom. After that they had become close friends and dabbled as something more for a short time, but mutually decided that it wasn't working and that they would be better off as simply friends.

"Valerie, you're here. Good." Her father stood from his seat and turned towards her fully, revealing that his left arm was missing, having been cut off just below his shoulder joint and that his right eye was covered by a black eyepatch. His grey hair hung in a semicircle around the back of his head, leaving the top completely bare. His blue shirt was buttoned up all the way as it always was with his black pants held up with a matching belt of the same shade. "Now I know that you're eager to head off outside of the Shield despite the fact you know I hate it when you do."

Valerie held his gaze steadily, not backing down an inch. This was an argument they'd both had numerous times. It was very dangerous to venture beyond the shield with Phantom running amok, but the young woman refused to give up hope that they'd found all the still surviving people in the world. Plus, the more of the past they could protect from Phantom's unbiased destruction, the better, and she believed that confronting him in his territory rather than waiting for him to attack was another way of proving she wasn't afraid of him.

Valerie's father continued, "But some of Kwan's people picked up on some unusual ghost activity out there. As far as we can tell, it's not from Phantom. But that is at least something we know. Whatever is causing these sorts of spikes in ectoplasmic energy is much bigger and exponentially more powerful than a single ghost alone."

"Do you think it could be some sort of ghost army?" Valerie hypothesized as she took the graphs from the doctor standing to her right, and she felt the chill return as the lines ran up and down the page like a category 8 earthquake had hit while the machine was recording. The Red Huntress had never seen anything like this before, not in all her years of fighting. For the first time in over eight years, she felt apprehension about the prospect of travelling beyond the Shield.

"We aren't sure what it could be at all, but those readings were from only a few minutes before 6:00 am this morning. Since then they've died down back to normal levels and so far, as far as we can tell, they're staying there but that could change at any moment Valerie. It might be best to delay your excursion for an hour or two to make sure that these spikes aren't going to happen again." Her father posed, and his periwinkle eye started to ignite with sparks. She could feel an argument brewing in the air, and with the steel that Damon returned in his one blue eye suggested he felt the same.

"Or instead of cowering behind the Shield, I could go to where these readings originated and possibly find out what's causing it. Maybe it's something we can use against Phantom!" Valerie countered.

Her father's bushy moustache bristled which was a sure sign of his temper showing through but he remained silent. Paulina and Kwan smartly kept their mouths shut, but simultaneously shared a look of fear.

Valerie continued, "How many times have I gone beyond the safety of the city and returned? How many times have I found something or someone that was important despite the risk of danger? How many times have I fought Phantom and won?" The woman knew she was striking low blows, but if they could get to the bottom of what was causing these readings and then harness it to destroy Phantom, then their worries would be over. Everything could go back to normal, the city could be rebuilt, the Shield taken down, and she could go back to being a girl who worried about boys and hair. Not a girl who worried about whether she would die today.

"All it takes is one time, Valerie. One time that you venture out of the Shield, one time that you fight Phantom, one time that you don't return!" he cried, slamming his fist down on his desk, "Do you have any idea what it does to me every time you leave? Baby girl, if you die out there at the hands of that monster, I don't know what I'll do." At this point, Paulina grabbed Kwan and in one fluid motion before he had a moment to comprehend what was happening, pulled him outside the office closing the door deftly behind them. Valerie's face softened a bit when she realized that her father was not angry with her, but for her.

"Daddy I…" she swallowed thickly past the lump in her throat, "…I'm sorry, but everything I've done has been for the good of the city and what remains of humanity. I don't risk my life like this because I like it. I risk it because I have to, because I am the only one able to stand up to him. Everything I do is for you, for everyone in the hope that we might be able to live normally again, without the fear of ghosts."

Her father's face softened from its harsh lines of anger as his fist softened, and he ran a hand down his face, clearly stressed and perhaps more than just a little overworked. "I know sweetie, I'm sorry, I just can't help but worry every time." He straightened out and recomposed himself, "You are right; however, finding out the source of these readings before they become something that may pose an even bigger threat than Phantom is important." Raising his voice slightly so the two standing outside would hear him, "Paulina, Kwan please come back in. There are still some details we need to discuss before Valerie leaves for the wastelands."

The other two rejoined the father and daughter in the office. "Are you sure? Is it, like, safe?" the Latino woman asked apprehensively as she clutched a silver briefcase to her chest.

"Yeah, the last thing I want is to get in between the Red Huntress and the Resistance leader. She obviously gets those killer genes from somewhere," Kwan chimed in as he followed in behind the tech expert.

"Don't be stupid, Kwan. I'd never harm one of us." Valerie retorted sarcastically as she put a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to one leg. The Asian man put his hands up in surrender and chuckled nervously.

"We should get back to the point of this meeting. Paulina, I believe you had something to show my daughter?" Damon gestured to the bubbly woman still holding the briefcase like her life depended on it. Upon being addressed, however, she stood up straight and grinned proudly.

"You bet I do! It was finished just last night. I call it the Ghost Snare!" At her exclamation, she opened up the case and took out what appeared to be a hand gun. Inside of the barrel appeared to be a spearhead with a nasty-looking hook at the end, not unlike a harpoon. "It's without a doubt my finest work, which is saying a lot because I make some awesome stuff, right, chica?"

"I'll be more inclined to believe you once you tell us how it works." The teal-eyed ghost hunter retorted impatient for her friend to get to the important part.

"It's, like, totally awesome! All you have to do is shoot the ghost with the harpoon shot," Paulina cocked the gun, which started to hum with its power core before she aimed it at the wall and fired. The harpoon-esque end shot from the barrel, which was expected, but the ectoplasmic rope trailing behind it was not. Without missing a beat, she then aimed at the floor and fired again, launching the opposite end of the rope securely into the now destroyed concrete. "Then fire again somewhere else, and he'll be helpless to escape! The rope is made out of pure ectoplasm that we were able to create from some samples you gave us a few weeks ago, chica. In other words, it's as strong as anything that bastard Phantom can generate. He'll be a sitting duck once you get him with this!" For emphasis, Paulina walked over to the rope, pulled on it and everyone watched as it vibrated back and forth with a strange sort of hum with how tightly it was strung.

"I have to say I'm impressed, Paulina. You definitely out did yourself this time. Phantom won't stand a chance against this."

A rather diabolical smirk spread across the Latina's face as she tossed the weapon to the Red Huntress. "Give him hell, chica."

* * *

Outfitted in her identifiable red ghost hunting suit that had earned her the moniker of "Red" Huntress and her silver, jet propelled sled, Valerie flew over the destroyed lands outside of the Ghost Shield. As far as the eye could see in any direction, there were nothing but ruins of what was once a flourishing metropolis that had been reduced to little more than rubble. The sky was dark, and gray clouds swirled menacingly as if any moment lightning would strike violently into the earth.

Valerie did her best to try and block out such distracting thoughts. While there was no sign of Phantom right at this moment, it didn't mean that he couldn't show up in the next. If there was only one thing she knew about her arch enemy, it was that he loved the element of surprise. There were many things she knew about him, several of them things she would rather not. For example, that he had once been Danny Fenton, a boy that she had liked once upon a time back when she had been naïve and innocent fourteen-year-old girl.

Shaking her head to focus back on the task at hand, Valerie checked her coordinates on the GPS located conveniently on her wrist to see that she was beginning to get close to the location where the strange readings had originated. The situation with her father had gone smoothly after their brief spat, and she had left as she usually did by giving her dad a tight hug and telling him that she loved him. She never wanted to risk the situation that they would leave on bad terms and she would never return to tell him she was sorry. There wasn't room for that level of immaturity in the world they lived in.

Slowing down, Valerie set down on the ground and hopped off her board leaving it to hover about a foot off the ground. this was where the spikes of energy had come from but there was nothing to indicate that the site was any more special than the surrounding rocky wasteland. Furrowing her dark brows, the black-haired woman continued to scan the area searching for anything that she may have missed that would call for such an anomaly in the data. She continued to look for another several minutes before her indicator started to read an ectoplasmic signature. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one she was looking for.

"You know, if you keep this up, I'm going to get the idea that you actually enjoy my company out here with just the two of us Valerie." The deep resonating voice lilted amusedly from behind her. Without hesitating, the woman in question turned on her heel and in the same fluid movement pulled the new gun from the holster on her thigh. As usual, he was dressed in his black and white jumpsuit with the white 'D' embellished on the front, a cruel reminder at the good he used to stand for. His hair blazed like a white fire on top of his head while black brows frowned low over glowing, blood red eyes while his lips curled upwards in a wide, slightly unhinged, leer revealing extremely sharp canines. He floated in the air a few feet above her almost lazily, like he didn't consider her a threat, her hands tightened around the gun as he spoke once again, "A new toy, Valerie? What a nice change. I was beginning to wonder when that airhead Paulina would come up with something worthwhile. Why don't we give it a little test run to see how it works? Maybe this time, you'll finally put up a good challenge." The ghost known as Dan Phantom wasted no time after that firing a green energy ray at her, which she easily sidestepped.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing. I haven't had a good workout in a while, I barely broke a sweat the last time I saw you," she retorted, watching as his grin turned upside down into a vicious snarl as he readied another ray. He'd taken her bait, and she aimed for his upraised hand as she shot her gun and watched as the rope trailed behind the hook. It sunk deep into his outstretched appendage, and he cried out in agony and rage but she took no heed as she aimed for a spot on the ground and shot the second hook that lodged firmly into the stone, creating a taut rope. His eyes widened with surprise when the ghost suddenly found his hand yanked to the side from the force of the rope tightening slightly. Cocking the gun back again, Valerie took aim and fired at his foot. This time though, Phantom was prepared and he easily pulled his foot out of the line of fire.

"Ropes Valerie?" Dan sneered as he wrenched the harpoon out of his hand. Green ectoplasmic blood sprayed the ground, and Valerie watched as the hole closed almost immediately. His grin returned, and he hovered a bit closer, once again dodging another shot, the ectoplasmic rope falling limply to the ground. "I didn't realize you were so eager to get… _kinky._ If you wanted restraints, you only had to ask." The brown skinned woman grimaced and blushed furiously underneath her helmet, thankful that her visor was tinted on the outside. Since Dan's hands glowed green once again, the Red Huntress instructed her jet sled to activate and shoot a small missile at his back, which exploded with a violet smoke.

"In your dreams, Phantom," she retorted hotly as she ducked around him and jumped onto her sled while he was still reeling from the poison spray that she had equipped in it. Kicking the engines up to full power, she shot off like a rocket. The maniacal laughter sounded down from where she left him, and she pushed the jets to their utmost limit. Kneeling down so she would be more streamlined, Valerie did her best to escape from the unstable man that would no doubt be hot on her tail.

A shot of plasma forced the Huntress to dip and dodge around the barrage. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed a few grenades from her belt and after pulling the pins, threw them over her shoulder at the monster currently trailing her. The explosions sounded, the shockwave giving her a small speed boost momentarily, but his continued laughter alerted her to the fact that they hadn't worked.

"Is this really the best the great Ghost Hunter can do?" Dan Phantom asked mockingly as he suddenly appeared at the head of her sled, gripping the sides tightly. Valerie's blue-green eyes widened in shock, she knew her jets weren't fast enough to out run him, but he was never this fast before! Once again pulling out her gun, she aimed point blank at his face, but he grasped the barrel and ripped it from her grasp with ease, sending it flying into the wastelands below. "Honestly, I'm disappointed." Taking a firm hold of her sled, he started to pull it in a circle, causing her to lose balance as it spun out of control, "I expected more of you, Valerie."

The world spun all into one great big blur as she careened towards the ground. Breathing hard as fear began to pump adrenaline through her system, the young woman curled into a ball to protect herself as much as possible as she crash-landed at full speed into the unforgiving ground. Several parts of her armor went flying from her body, and there were even more disturbing cracks as she rolled and bounced across the dirt. Skidding to a stop, Valerie desperately tried to draw in a breath as her diaphragm worked against her and refused to cooperate. After what seemed to take an eternity but was really only a second or two, she was able to gasp in a lungful of air.

Coughing sent waves of agony through her chest. Some of her ribs were likely broken, or at the very least bruised. A groan of anguish forced its way through her lips as she doubled over, curling in on her injuries. Her battle suit could only take so much before it gave out, but lately it has been easier and easier for Phantom to break through it. The dark-skinned girl could only hope the new prototype would be finished soon.

"When you're this pathetically weak, it almost tugs at my heartstrings to have to destroy you." Two feet settled on the ground gently, causing only the barest cloud of dust to be displaced from his weight as he landed. A hand appeared on her arm as Phantom gripped tightly and pulled her up so she was looking up at him. A maniacal grin stretched across his face, marring what could have been potentially handsome features. "Although we both know that my heart stopped beating a long time ago." Sharp canines flashed as his hand closed around her neck and pulled her close, grip slowly tightening until her windpipe was closed off completely. Desperately, she clawed at his fingers but to no avail. He was too strong for her.

In a last-ditch attempt to free herself, Valerie took out the knife strapped to her lower back and in one fluid movement, she plunged it into his unprotected side. It worked as he immediately released her and she yanked out the blade, doing more damage on the exit due to its serrated blade. Phantom roared with agony as he clutched at his heavily bleeding side. Not missing a beat, she activated the gun on her arm and shot several rounds into his chest. As he stumbled to remain balanced, breathing heavily, she did her best to stand and ignore the fire of red hot pain all throughout her chest.

"I haven't used up all my tricks just yet, Phantom," Valerie growled as she blew away the smoke that lingered at the mouth of the gun. Her visor was shattered but she dared not take her helmet off since she didn't want to find out what kind of damage he could do to her without that protection. The last thing she or Amity Park needed was for her to sustain a brain injury, one that would put her ghost hunting to a permanent end. Hysterical laughter sounded from her arch enemy as he stood straight once more.

"This is the Valerie I know! Now I can finally get serious." In a flash, he was directly in front of her, and it was purely reflex that had her lifting the knife to point in his direction. He was prepared for it this time, as he caught her wrist in his vicelike grip. "Tsk tsk, trying to use the same trick twice? that's not like you."

"You're right, but this is." The Red Huntress pushed a button on her suit, and it came to life with electricity. His hand burned from the direct contact with her body as the electricity tore through his body, practically lighting him up from the inside out. Once again, he cried out in agony as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Growling, he broke contact with her and with a wave of his hand, ectoplasmic energy encased her hand and sent her flying backwards towards a boulder. Crashing into it at full force caused her to see stars and she barely even noticed when more ectoplasmic bonds appeared on her body, another on her opposite wrist, and two around her ankles.

"Beginning to play dirty are we, Huntress? Doesn't that go against some sort of honor code that you have?" Dan taunted her as he sauntered up to her. Awareness came back to the dark-skinned woman just in time to look up and see his face only inches from her own. Instinct had her trying to wield the knife again, but the ectoplasm bonds stuck like glue and Valerie was unable to move an inch. _Well shit…_ "It seems I am beginning to corrupt you after all. What would the resistance say if they knew I was slowly sullying your _innocence_?" The leer on his face stretched widely once again as he planted both hands on either side of her head, effectively trapping her even further. Nodding to the ectoplasmic restraints on her limbs, Phantom continued, "Since you seem so fond of rope all of a sudden, I thought I'd indulge you. Do you like them?"

"I'd like them a lot better if they were on you," she retorted hotly and watched as his face lit up in amusement. Throwing his head back, Dan began to laugh loudly, and that was when she realized the full implication of what she had said. Blushing furiously, she berated herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you say that? Of course he's going to take it the wrong way!_

"Oh Valerie, you dirty, _dirty_ woman!" He leaned in closer, a hand ghosting along her jawline. She flinched away from the contact. Grasping the bottom edge of her helmet, he uncaringly ripped it off, setting her black ringlet curls free. She glared at him as he grasped one and twirled it on his finger, "If I'd known you wouldn't be so against this, I would have tied you up a long time ago." By this point his body was so close to hers, she could feel the cold seeping off of him in waves. His hand lightly tracing her throat where she winced as the newly forming bruises twanged with pain. His head directly beside hers, with his mouth at her ear. He narrowed the gap between their bodies until there was barely a hair's breadth between them. With barely a whisper, he said, "I'm going to _enjoy_ this."

" _Valerie? Valerie! Are you there?_ " her father's voice suddenly called from the communicator in her helmet. Both Dan and the woman in question looked down to it. " _L_ _isten, baby girl, get out of there! Kwan just burst in with new readings. They're spiking again right where you are! This time they're even higher than before!_ " His voice was panicked and fearful, but Valerie was too far away to offer him any reassurance. Not that she would be able to do anything about the situation anyways, not with Phantom practically on top of her. He pulled away from her slightly as he gazed down at her helmet with a perplexed look on his features.

"What is he blathering on about?" Dan demanded as he turned back to Valerie once again, putting his hand around her throat, his red eyes glowing menacingly. The action was no longer sensual. This time it was threatening, especially when he began to constrict her airway once again. She was about to answer when she was interrupted by a loud explosion of something tearing through the air, as if the very fabric of reality was ripping violently apart.

Bracing himself against the blast, Dan stepped away from her, his cape billowed intensely in the gale. Valerie was able to see what was happening even around her mass of curls doing their absolute best to get into every place they could, her eyes, her mouth, even her nose; but what she was witnessing, was something that she very much wished she wasn't seeing.

A ghost portal was opening not twenty feet from her.

It wasn't just any regular portal either. She had seen those opening randomly out in the wastelands before, but they were small and usually didn't affect anything more than a few feet around it. This one wasn't even on the same playing field. The portal was at least fifty feet tall and twenty feet wide at the center where it was widest. The readings that Kwan had gotten early this morning must have been weaknesses in the barrier between this world and the ghost zone where this portal was trying to open. Obviously this was no ordinary gateway, something was opening this one on purpose. Now the question remained: who was responsible?

A metal, gauntleted hand pushed its way through the lime green swirls and closed into a fist. The rest of the arm emerged, green spikes adorning the forearm that then flowed into black armor until a cloaked shoulder emerged. Then came a heavy mane of bright green hair to match the colors of the portal itself, and on top of that head of hair, floated a crown. It was wreathed in more emerald flames.

"Hmm, the human realm. It looks even more pathetic than the last time I was here." A rough, wizened voice rumbled through the air. His black cape billowed around his exceedingly large, fifty-foot tall frame as he stood menacingly in front of the still-open portal. Valerie's heart raced with fear, and her limbs tingled with adrenaline. The throb of her injuries faded under the rush as she stared at a ghost she thought long gone.

Pariah Dark turned towards them with his skeletal face that had an eyepatch over the left eye, while his remaining one glowed the same sickly green shade as his hair and the crown floating just above his head. "Danny Phantom, I suppose I should be glad to see that if nothing else, you are still alive. If only for the reason that I wish to destroy you from your pathetic existence myself."

The young woman whipped her head back to the flame haired ghost to see him smirking with dark enjoyment.

"Danny is long dead. I killed that pathetic weakling nearly ten years ago." Phantom responded surprisingly calmly, but Valerie could detect the underlying tremble of insane glee. "I am the result, and this is no longer the human realm. This plane belongs to me and me alone now. You are nothing more than an intruder on my lands, Pariah." With nothing left to be said, the black and white ghost launched himself at full speed towards the monstrously sized entity.

"You dare speak to me in such a manner, child?! I shall teach you the meaning of respect once I break every bone in that pathetic body of yours!" roared the giant ghost as he readied a plasma ray that glowed an eerie red. Dan dodged it with relative grace and got in close to deal a devastating blow to Dark's blindside. Valerie tore her eyes away from the awesome sight and instead focused on freeing herself from the ropes still currently holding her to the boulder. She had to get out of there. She had to warn her father that Phantom wasn't the only ghost they needed to worry about anymore.

Tightly gripping the knife, she did her best to saw through the ectoplasmic bond surrounding her wrist. It was difficult and awkward work that had her hand cramping up after only a few seconds. There wasn't any time to indulge her aching muscles, however, as the destructive battle continued on much too close to her for comfort. Although one consolation was that the portal was finally starting to close.

The rope snapped and disappeared once she broke the bond. Not missing a second, she quickly sliced through the remaining bonds. Free, she ran to where her helmet had been blown from the force of the portal opening and quickly shoved it back on her head. "Dad? Daddy! Come in! Can you hear me?" she shouted into the mouth piece.

" _Val—can—losin—tact. Co—ack_." Was the broken response that she received, and she cursed so fluidly and explicitly that Dan would have been proud, not that that made her feel any better. Her communicator was broken. She would have to go back in person to let her father and the resistance know about Pariah's return. Calling her sled to her, Valerie sheathed her knife into its spot on her back.

CRACK!

Her head whipped around to see Phantom's battered form surrounded by a dust cloud, having just been thrown at great force into a rock face that was now cracking in half as a result. Teal eyes widened in shock as she noticed his ripped jumpsuit and green blood oozing from several large wounds all over his body. His chest heaved with every breath, and he had trouble getting up after that hit. The only thing that remained unchanged was the psychotic grin still firmly plastered onto his face. Without even glancing in her direction, he leapt right back into the fight, fully focused on the bigger threat. As her sled arrived, looking dusty and dented in more than one place, she too turned her eyes to Pariah Dark and was horrified by what she saw.

He barely had a scratch.

The one hit Phantom had managed to really land had been the first one. The only mark that blemished his unnaturally white skin, was from the first ectoplasmic punch he had thrown. It only became more and more one-sided the longer she watched and it was in that moment that Valerie was faced with a very horrifying realization.

Dan Phantom would die.

There was no doubt in her mind. Pariah was pulling no punches, and things were only getting worse. With every splatter of green blood, the smaller ghost got weaker and weaker.

Her emotions conflicted with each other violently.

If Dan were dead, then she no longer had to worry about leaving the safety of the Ghost Shield ever again. The thought filled her with a relief that swept through like a cooling rain she hadn't felt on her skin in years. Then on the other hand, however, it was Pariah she would have to worry about. That sent a chill down her spine that even the hottest of showers wouldn't be able to chase away.

Valerie was now faced with choosing between two evils. One who enjoyed playing a deadly game of cat and mouse? Or another who enjoyed the screams of the innocent beneath his boot as he crushed them mercilessly?

Once again uttering a string of curses that would have Phantom grinning like a maniac, she hopped on her sled, debating her sanity all the while. _Fucking asshole must have given me a brain injury after all. I have to be out of my mind for this._ Revving up the jet engines, she shot off getting up to full speed in less than a second, but she was still a second too late.

As she took off, Pariah backhanded Phantom hard enough to send him tearing through the air directly into the ground at his feet. Valerie's eyes widened in horror when he did not get up.

Flying straight up to his face, she released every single flare that she had directly into his good eye, blinding him with the bright light. Dark cried out in anguish and covered his face as he stumbled back a step or two. Taking out the last of her grenades she chucked them with all her might at his head before grabbing her giant grenade launcher from its compartment in her board. Taking aim, she shot two rounds into the smoke, which exploded violently and earned another growl. In her last effort, she unloaded the remaining poison-laden missiles into the same spot. Valerie didn't wait to see if they would work or not, as she turned tail and dived straight down to where Dan's body still lay in the crater unconscious and bleeding profusely.

Not giving herself anytime to doubt her actions she grabbed his arm and pulled it around her shoulders before she then pulled the rest of him onto the sled with her.

"I remember you, girl child! You were the one who was relentlessly chasing the Phantom boy around like a fox on the trail of a rabbit! It seems not much has changed." His voice boomed menacingly from the cloud of smoke still surrounding his head. Valerie shivered in fear and was glad that Dan wasn't awake to feel it, "I was going to spare your life if you bowed to my rule, but now I think I shall make an example of you instead!"

The Red Huntress made the mistake of looking back up to see the cloud clearing enough for him to see her. His face was twisted in rage as he pointed a glowing red hand in her direction. Flight response kicking into high gear, the jets revved to their maximum and launched both her and the injured ghost on her shoulders off faster than she had ever gone before.

The wind made her eyes water but she dared not slow down for even a second. The red blast exploded mere feet away from her and she started to fly in a more serpentine pattern so as to be a harder target to hit. A few more landed near her, but they were weaker and weaker the further she got away from the monster who had come through the portal.

"You cannot escape me, child! I will find you no matter where you hide, whether here or in the Ghost Zone!" Pariah called out and Valerie once again felt chills down her spine. The jets on her sled began to protest loudly as the gears ground together harshly and began to overheat. They were not used to carrying the extra weight, and they had already been pushed to their limit once today. It was clear they wouldn't hold out for much longer, but she paid them little heed as her only goal was to get as far away from Pariah as possible.

But where could she go?

Valerie couldn't risk going back to Amity Park and leading Dark there to kill everything and everyone she still held dear. Not to mention that she most certainly wouldn't be able to bring Phantom there without causing an uproar throughout the whole city. Staying out here wasn't much better, though. There were no safe places in the wastelands, and once her new unwilling ghost companion woke up and started healing again, she had no doubt that she would also have to fight him off while still worrying about Pariah.

Tears began to well in her eyes, but this time it wasn't from the wind. There was no way out of this situation she had gotten herself into. Why hadn't she just for once listened to her dad? Why did she have to be so stubborn about going outside the Shield? If she had agreed to forgo her expedition, like he wanted, she wouldn't be faced with the reality that she very likely would never see him again.

With a last cough and a splutter, the engines died, and the sled crashed into the rocky ground, sliding along it like a surf board. It was through sheer determination and stubbornness that she managed to keep the stupid thing from flipping over and sending them both skidding along the sharp rocks.

Just to the side was a small outcropping of stone that offered some semblance of shelter. With grudging determination, she half-carried, half-dragged the still-unconscious form of Dan Phantom over to its shadow. Laying him down gently, she then went back and retrieved her now unusable jet sled and also dragged it over to the shaded area.

Sitting down heavily, she winced when her injuries cruelly reminded her of their presence. Breathing became difficult as every expansion of her chest caused agony to ripple through her bones. She needed medical attention, but out here, with a broken communicator, that was unlikely. A quick glance down at her GPS told her that was broken too. It was likely everyone thought she was dead. Killed in the freak disaster that caused the off the charts readings. Thoroughly disheartened, Valerie started to drift off into a depression-induced haze.

A blue light suddenly illuminated the space in front of her, and reflex had her arm up, gun out and ready for whatever was causing the strange happening. It started with what appeared to be a clock hand up in the 12 o'clock position before it made a full-face rotation, creating what appeared to be some form of blue portal that she'd never seen before. Then out floated a ghost she had never before either.

He appeared to be of a man in the prime of his life, with blue skin the same shade as the portal, red eyes with no visible sclera or pupil with a jagged lightning shaped scar over his left eye. A purple hood was pulled up over his head and draped over his shoulders. It was held together with what appeared to be some sort of cog. He wore a slightly lighter purple tunic and black gloves with multiple watches on each wrist. The strangest thing about him, however, was the clear rectangle in the middle of his chest that contained a clock with a swinging pendulum inside. In his hand, he carried a purple staff the same shade as his cloak with a clock on the top.

"Who are you?" Valerie demanded weakly, unable to gather the strength to lift her head off her shoulders let alone stand and make herself seem fierce.

"It is usually polite to introduce yourself first before demanding someone else's name, but then again, I already know everything there is to know about you, Valerie Gray, Red Huntress and Ghost Slayer." He spoke in a monotone voice that suggested he was tired of dealing with people and would rather just live a secluded life. It also didn't escape her notice that he had a slight lisp. "But since you asked, I am Clockwork, the Master of Time."

"How do you know me? I've never met you before in my life." The thought that this ghost known as 'Clockwork' would know about her but not the other way around disturbed her greatly.

He quirked a brow, "I know all. I even know how you have landed yourself in the situation you are in and why." A small smirk ghosted over his features as she narrowed her eyes.

"Then why are you here? What do you want?"

"Straight to the point, as usual, though I suppose it is for the best. I am here to offer my assistance. There is no safe place for you with Pariah Dark pursuing Dan and yourself, whether in this realm or the Ghost Zone." His words confirmed Valerie's worst fear, "Except, of course, one exception. My palace exists outside of time itself and is therefore inaccessible to anyone except me. There, you will be safe until you both are well enough to fight once again."

"I make it a principle rule to not trust ghosts." A rough cough had her doubling over as something coppery got stuck in her throat. One last hack freed it, and blood splattered over her already destroyed, red armor.

"You are not in a position to negotiate. Should you remain out here, Pariah will find you in a matter of hours and should you retreat behind the Ghost Shield at Amity Park, he will destroy it until nothing remains." He held a glowing hand out to her, "You have my word I mean you no harm. The only timeline where you succeed against Pariah Dark is if you accept my offer of help."

Valerie considered it for a moment before she decided _, Fuck it_. She was dead whether or not she accepted this mysterious Clockwork's help. Lowering her gun, she outstretched her unarmed hand and gripped his outstretched one firmly.

"Alright, ghost I'll accept your help, but I can't carry him. You'll have to do that."

Another smirk stretched across his pallid features. "Of course."

* * *

**So there is the first chapter! Please leave me a comment with your thoughts, if you'd like, I'd love to hear them!**


	2. Diamond Hard- Revelations

**Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who left kudos on the first chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

 

When Valerie awoke next, she did not recognize her surroundings.

Everything seemed to be either blue or purple. Outside the window was a green sky that swirled in a nauseating way. Then the girl glanced down her body to see that she was in bed, with matching purple and blue sheets as the rest of the interior. When had she climbed into bed? The sheets were surprisingly soft against her skin, and— _when had she gotten undressed?!_ Beneath the sheets, she was clad only in her black sports bra and matching boy-short underwear.

That was the last straw. The young woman leapt out of the bed only to collapse to her knees on the marble floor. Her ribs protested at her movement. Breathing hurt like everything else did no matter how she moved, but she had to get moving one way or another.

“I’m no medical expert,” a familiar monotone voice spoke from behind her, “but I don’t think it is wise for you to be up and moving with those injuries.” Valerie whipped her head around to spot a child ghost who then triggered a sudden rush of memories. Everything came back in a surge of images, from Pariah Dark walking through the portal to accepting Clockwork’s offer of refuge.

“Clockwork…?” Valerie asked, puzzled. Why did he look like a toddler? She glanced down at herself, face darkening as blood flooded her cheeks. Grabbing the edge of the blanket the young woman did her best to try and cover herself from the surprise visitor standing (well floating really) only a few feet from her.

The blue ghost looked down at himself. “Ah yes. For me, time moves forwards.” His form aged up to the one that she was familiar with and then continued to age up until he was a wrinkled, old man. “And backwards.” He reverted to a child form again and then back to the young man. “And forwards again. Time is not like a river for me, but more like a vast ocean with currents pushing and pulling in all different directions. Each direction of the waves results in entirely different outcomes.”

Valerie stared at the ghost like he’d grown a second head as she struggled to understand what he was telling her—and also the fact that she had just watched his whole life flash before her eyes.

“So… you’re basically omniscient? Almost like a god?” the young woman asked, completely perplexed and the ghost in front of her nodded noncommittally.

“If that is what makes the most sense to you, then yes.” As he responded to her question, he once again started to revert back into his child form, and Valerie humorously noted that no matter what form Clockwork took, he always had the same voice. Except the only form that suited the lisp was the child version.

Suddenly, Valerie couldn’t help herself. It started as a giggle and developed into chuckles. Before long, she was cackling from deep in her stomach, despite the throbbing from her bruised ribs. Collapsing to the floor because she didn’t have the strength to remain on her knees, the young woman tried to control herself.

Tears flowed freely down her face as hilarity mixed with agony.

Clockwork could only gaze on in mild horror at the sight. Glancing down at himself, he figured it was his toddler form that had set her off. Deciding to be safe, he aged himself up to his middle form and vowed that he wouldn’t appear in his toddler state until he was sure that… whatever _this_ was, wouldn’t happen again.

After a minute, it subsided on its own.

Valerie wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, just with the stress of the past few days and then the Pariah Dark incident, I couldn’t help it. Your voice with that face was too much, I just couldn’t do it.” As she tried to get back up, however, her abused ribcage had none of it. Agony shot through her whole body with even the slightest movement. She slumped down until she was lying back on the floor. “I can’t get up.” She didn’t to admit that the cool floor also helped to numb the heart beat that thrummed throughout her entire torso.

“Well, as I said, I am no medical expert. So I have taken the liberty of finding one who is.”

Valerie raised her head enough to see another blue portal open and out stepped another new ghost. He was furry and white with a left arm made out of ice, revealing the bones beneath its glossy surface. A royal blue cape adorned his shoulders, and a heavy looking gold belt with a single blue gem rested on his hips held up a sash the same color and fabric as his cloak.

Clockwork added, “Frostbite, this is Valerie. She is the second of two that is in need of your assistance.” The new ghost glanced down to the woman lying prone on the floor.

her without her suit to protect her?

The ghost named Frostbite said, “Hm. Well, she does not seem in nearly as dire need of help as Phantom was. But I shall do my best to treat a human. You have my word.”

At the mention of her enemy, Valerie leapt to her feet. Her chest constricted so painfully at the sudden, abrupt movement, she saw stars in front of her eyes. The blanket, still attached to the bed, made the movement much more difficult and the young woman was forced to take a few steps backwards, “Where is he? Where is Phantom?” the young woman panicked.

The large yeti-looking ghost held out his large, clawed hands, prepared to catch her should she start to fall over. His yellow eyes were wide with concern he watched Valerie struggle to breathe properly, her arms clutched close to her aching chest.

“Phantom is asleep in another room where he won’t be a bother to you,” Clockwork answered as he too looked worried for her.

She grasped the bed post beside her for support as her breath became short and difficult. “The only way he’ll never be a bother is when he finally fades out—” sudden shortness of breath cut her sentence short, and she grasped at her chest which felt constricted, “—from existence.” Her heart beat wildly, and she struggled to draw in a lungful of air. Frostbite immediately jumped into action, catching her as her legs gave way.

“There is air becoming trapped in her chest,” Frostbite said. “I believe she may have punctured a lung. Clockwork, I will need your help in this.”

Her consciousness began to fade as strong, surprisingly gentle, hands guided her back to the soft comforter. Blackness overtook her.

* * *

 

_It was dark. Her chest felt heavy, and each breath was a struggle, as if a weight were pushing down on her rib cage. Lifting her head took more effort than she was willing to admit. She immediately wished she hadn’t. Draped across her chest was a heavily muscled, green-tinted arm, which was attached to an equally bare shoulder and connected to a neck. Two glowing red eyes illuminated the darkness._

_Dan._

_Heart rate jumping, she aimed an elbow into his face that he caught with dextrous ease. His fingers were like ice on her warm skin as he pinned her arm to the mattress and began to climb on top of her. Fighting and bucking with all her strength wasn’t enough as he settled heavily on her hips, one leg on either side of her waist._

_Valerie’s arms were held on either side of her body by his strong hands. She could almost feel the bruises forming. White teeth flashed in the darkness as Phantom leered down. A deep-seated fear chilled her as she stared up at the ghost responsible for every bad thing in her life._

_“I like you like this, Valerie. Helpless, cowering, and **afraid**.” Phantom leaned in closer until there were only a few inches between their faces. “Fear is a good look for you. I would love to see you wear it more often.” A hand lifted from her arm to splay across her toned stomach that was still bare. He traced a few of her old scars absentmindedly with one of his fingers, leaving a cold trail behind. Valerie shivered, shying away from his touch and once again testing how firm his hold was on her. He didn’t budge an inch. Especially the glowing ectoplasm that had replaced his free hand._

_“The way you look up at me with those wide, teal eyes and trembling lips.” He reached up to her face in an almost gentle way as his fingers slid up her jaw. “Almost makes me regret all these scars that decorate your skin. Almost_. _” She jerked her head away from his chill and hardened her gaze. Grin widening, he lowered his head, put his mouth at her ear, and whispered lowly, “You can **never**_ _escape me, Valerie.”_

_His unnatural snake tongue ran the length of her neck and the young woman barely managed to supress a shudder before he bit down on the junction between her neck and her shoulder. The young woman cried out in pain—_

—and shot bolt upright in bed.

Tears filled her eyes at the searing agony of her severely damaged rib cage, and she curled over on her side. As she gripped her torso, Valerie noticed this time that there were bandages there as well as the smell of medicine. She still had her sports bra and shorts on, but she really wished that she could have some more appropriate clothes. After a few minutes, the pain subsided somewhat, and she carefully sat up. A hitch in her shoulder caught her slightly off guard, and when she raised her hand to the offending area, she discovered four puncture marks.

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

She craned her neck as far as it would go to see the marks. From what she could see, they had drawn a bit of blood and needed to be cleaned.

Bite marks. From Dan?

On the bedside table next to where she sat, there was a bowl of water with a cloth. Grabbing the cloth, she quickly drenched it in the water before wringing it out and then gently dabbing the new wounds.

A ghostly laugh breathed over her unmarked shoulder that sent goosebumps all along her body in waves.

Clothes or no clothes, Valerie needed to find where Phantom was. Now. She needed to know if he were capable of moving around and how he’d managed to sneak into her room. There was a robe of some form at the end of the bed, and once she had carefully maneuvered herself out of the bed, the young woman grasped it and dragged it around her. Making her way towards the double doors that likely led into the hallways, Valerie pulled one of them open.

“If Frostbite catches you up and about like this, he will not be happy,” a monotone voice grumbled from the other side of the door, and the curly haired woman had to stifle a cry of surprise. Sure enough, there floated Clockwork with a long, white beard and a rather weathered face.

“Frostbite isn’t the one I’m worried about catching me in the hallway. Where is Phantom?” she demanded forcefully, which caused the old ghost to furrow his already wrinkled brow that much further.

“Why do you wish to know so desperately?”

“Because I need to know if he’s already up and about.” Valerie had a slight tremble in her voice, fearful of the possibility that he is lurking around only to torment her.

“I can assure you, Dan Phantom is in no state to be walking. The fight with Pariah Dark took not only quite the toll on his body but also his power core. As far as I am aware, he has not even awakened since I brought you both here several days ago now.” Valerie thought back to that day and her amusement at the way that Clockwork had carried him. Apparently it had been a little bit payback for all the trouble that Dan had caused him over the past few years. Although she had to admit to herself, watching the unconscious ghost being forced to tap dance through that blue portal marionette style had her giggling to herself.

Any hilarity dropped from her stature when she touched her bite marks and also considered Clockwork’s firm reassurance,

“You said several days. How long was I out?” she asked, confused and more than just a little worried.

“After you arrived, you were out for several hours, and then after Frostbite had healed your punctured lung and bandaged you, spanned another four days. The sedative he administered was very effective, and your body needed the rest.”

“Then if he’s really as out of it as you claim, I would love to know how I woke up with these this morning.” She pulled aside the heavy fabric to reveal the vampire-like wounds between her neck and shoulder.

Red eyes widened with concern, and Clockwork tightened his lips so much so that they turned white. “This way.” He immediately turned to lead her down the hall. Valerie pulled her robe up over her shoulder once again and followed after him. Her body was still incredibly sore, and she had developed a bit of a limp as a result of avoiding using a few of the muscles within her chest.

Clockwork was eerily silent as they walked.

Valerie’s teal eyes stared at the ground, dark with anxiety. She wasn’t sure whether she would prefer that the blue ghost was telling the truth and Phantom was still out cold, or if she’d find him awake and well. A shiver went up her spine at the thought. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself against Phantom if that were the case and he decided to attack. Her only hope would be that her escort would act as her bodyguard to protect her.

The walk was much longer and more complicated than she had anticipated. It seems that Clockwork had indeed taken her comfort and security into account when he’d given them rooms. It was unlikely that Phantom would be able to easily locate her when he would have to navigate this labyrinth of hallways. It was possible that the marks on her neck were just from Frostbite taking blood, or something, and that scene this morning had been nothing more than a dream. She had felt pain in her dreams before.

Once they finally reached the correct room, Clockwork removed the glowing ectoplasm sealing the doors shut and then pushed them open. The interior of the room was very similar to her own with a blue and purple colour scheme, and one crucial difference. Laying on the bed was a rather pale looking ghost.

Dan’s hair was spread limply on the pillow behind him, the once flickering strands now reduced to stationary clumps. There was an IV drip hooked up to his arm with what appeared to be some form of glowing green plasma within it. Valerie was fairly impressed at the level of technology with which Frostbite was capable of using. She had assumed that it would be bandages and ointments at the most.

“There. You see, Dan Phantom has not moved an inch.” Clockwork gestured to the comatose ghost.

Valerie swallowed thickly as she once again fingered the wounds on her shoulder, Dan’s words echoing inside her head. _Now you can_ **never** _escape me, Valerie._ Teal eyes widened in horror as it suddenly dawned on her.

Had Phantom developed some new power?

The bite mark on her shoulder throbbed, and she once again rubbed it. Dread sank her stomach into her ankles. Maybe he didn’t need to be physically well to torment her anymore. Maybe he was able to do it without even leaving the comfort of his own bed which, to be honest, terrified her. Now there really was no way she’d ever escape him. Glancing back up to the unmoving form of her arch enemy, a new determination filled her body. If he was going to torment her mentally where she was helpless, then she was going to do the same on the physical plane where there was nothing he could do about it.

Striding confidently up to the bed, Valerie got a closer look at the one who had made her life a living hell. He was barely breathing, and his skin had a sickly glow to it.  

“You said he hasn’t moved a bit, right?” her curls shifted over her shoulder as she looked back at the now middle-aged Master of Time who had followed her into the room. He nodded sagely, an unidentifiable expression on his features. “Good.” She responded as she carefully climbed onto the bed. Then she climbed over Phantom’s legs until she was straddling his waist.

Clockwork could only watch what the human girl was up to. The blue ghost had not looked into this possibility of her reaction. He had ignored it in favor of the more ‘likely’ possibilities. Ones that involved her using some sort of weapon against Dan. So he didn’t question and instead remained silent to observe how the situation would progress.

“Since this bastard seems able to torment me either way, let’s see if we can’t wake him up.” Raising a hand into the air, Valerie brought it down as hard as she could onto the unconscious ghost’s face. His head snapped to the side as the sound of the strike echoed throughout the room. Wincing, the young woman cradled her stinging palm to her chest and watched carefully for any sign of a reaction. When the only response she got was his cheek turning a dark shade of green, Valerie released a small sigh of relief. “I guess not.”

Suddenly an idea sprang to her mind and she grinned darkly as she realized the diabolical nature of it.

“Hey Clockwork, you don’t by chance happen to have a—?” She didn’t even need to finish her sentence before a black, permanent marker was shoved under her nose. A quick glance at his face told her, he was just as pleased about this idea as she was.

“I was hoping you would choose this possibility.”

Taking the pen from his grip, Valerie uncapped it and got to work.

* * *

 

Sometime later after her masterpiece was complete, Valerie was back in her own room enduring thorough a checkup by the in-house Yeti doctor. He was examining her ribs to see how they were healing. It was a fairly painful procedure, as it involved him pressing on her ribcage.

The large ghost asked, one unperceivable eyebrow raised, “Do I dare ask how Dan Phantom received the black marks I found scribbled all over his face?”

Valerie struggled to hide the grin that struggled to overtake her features. When she had finally left the room with Clockwork, her enemy’s face had been covered with all sorts of doodles. Some of which included the necessary swirly moustache and monocle with the word ‘LOSER’ spelt in all caps across his forehead.

“Not unless you want to be considered an accomplice,” Valerie wheezed as he pressed particularly hard on one of the more tender areas.

Muzzle twisting into a frown, he continued his exam doing his best to be as gentle as possible, but that was made difficult by the sheer sensitivity of her injuries. “In that case, I believe I prefer to remain blissfully ignorant.” A smirk brought the corner of his mouth up. “That doesn’t mean I don’t approve, however. I hold no love for Daniel Phantom anymore.”

Valerie’s ears pricked at his very distinctive use of past tense. “Anymore?” she probed, curious.

The great white beast sighed heavily and in that one moment appeared to age several years. His broad shoulders slumped, and his yellow eyes closed. “He held great respect in my tribe when he was but a young boy after his initial defeat of Pariah Dark. We valued him as a great warrior and would have welcomed with open arms and words of praise had he come to our realm peacefully.” Frostbite took a deep breath as memories resurfaced from where he had pushed them deep down. “As the years passed and news of his alignment change spread, my clan lost all respect from him. He was murdering, conquering, and torturing ghosts and humans alike for the sheer glee of it.

“It was around that time I offered my clan’s services to Clockwork, who was doing all in his power to halt as much of Phantom’s destruction as he possibly could. We did our best to stand against him and his allies, but eventually they broke our ranks and drove us back into our lands.” Valerie had never even considered that her arch enemy had also gone after his own kind. She had just assumed that all ghosts were on the same side. The idea that not all of them were pure evil, sent her to questioning the rest of the assumptions she had made. “It was only through Clockwork’s intervention that much of my clan survived. The war had taken a heavy toll on our numbers and those that still live hold heavy grudges, myself included.”

“Then why are you helping him? Why don’t you just leave him to die?” she questioned him in almost an accusing tone.

“Because surely you know as well as I, that this is a larger problem than both of us. Pariah poses a serious threat that cannot be defeated by a single entity. If he is not defeated or put back into the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, then both our worlds and the ones we care about will be in grave danger.” Some strength seemed to seep back into his bones as Frostbite sat a little straighter and stared her dead in the eyes. “If I have to put aside my own values to help secure a safe future for the Ghost Zone and the human realm, then that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”

The Red Huntress remained silent for the rest of her examination. The furred ghost had given her much to think about. A new respect for Frostbite grew in her mind in how willing he was to put aside his own ideals in the hope of creating a better future.

* * *

 

_Valerie opened her eyes to a familiar, darkened room. This time she was lying on her side, with another body lying next to hers. Dan’s green arm was once again wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her against himself. The pressure from his arm wasn’t hurting her chest, which convinced her that this wasn’t real. Drawing in a deep breath, she gathered what courage she could and praying her voice wouldn’t shake, she addressed the maniac cradling her_ _._

_“What do you want this time,_ **_Danny_** _and why are you naked_? _” She knew his childhood nickname would irritate him. Sure enough, he grasped her jaw and forced her to look him straight in the eyes_ _. Valerie winced at the sudden stretch to her muscles but was happy he had decided to prop himself up on an elbow so the action did not break her neck instead._

 _“Do **not** call me that,” He hissed, baring sharp fangs, red eyes flashing brightly in the darkness. Valerie stared blankly at him, not threatened in the slightest. This was a dream, in her subconscious. She was safe here. A grin stretched over his face as his hand ghosted back down to her hip where it settled itself comfortably. Valerie tried to back away, but his grip tightened and pulled her closer instead. That was when she noticed just how incredibly _**naked** _they both were. The underwear she was wearing and his pants not exactly counting for nearly as much as she would like, “Is that what you think? That you’re_ safe _?” His free hand traced the tense lines of her neck as she fearfully glanced between his eyes swallowing hard._

_“This is a dream… right?”_

_He chuckled deep in his chest as his fingers slipped around her throat and squeezed tentatively. “A dream? Oh no, dear Valerie, this is a **nightmare**.” With all his strength, Phantom squeezed on her windpipe. _

_As a reflexive action, she aimed a blow at his solar plexus. The young woman watched as his eyes widened, and he gasped for air. His grip loosened momentarily as she stared up at him in shock. That never worked; he always made his body intangible whenever she went to fight hand-to-hand, even in the nightmares she had where she was forced to relive a battle they had shared. There was only the barest hint of hesitation while Valerie’s brain processed this new information before she unleashed her full martial capabilities on him._

_Laying in the bed made it significantly more difficult to use her skills, but she dealt blow after blow taking full advantage of him remaining a solid entity. Aiming for every sensitive area on the human body, she made her marks and it wasn’t long before Valerie was the one on top of him. After knocking his arms away from her body, she climbed on top of him, pinning his legs with her own while she continued to take her years of pent up frustrations out on him. She was showing him the exact amount of mercy he had shown her as she dealt blow after blow to that strong jaw._

_Ectoplasmic blood splattered against the pillows and the sheets_ _. Phantom was getting weaker and weaker by the seconds. She could feel it. His power core thrummed lower and lower with each punch, but she refused to let up. This was revenge for everyone and everything he had taken away from her._

_Finally catching her fist in his palm, Dan snarled through a broken bleeding lip and with his last bit of strength bellowed “ **Enough**!” and threw her off the side of the bed—_

_—_ Valerie crashed to the floor, and the air was knocked out of her. Her ribs burned from the heavy collision. All the could do was lay there curled into the fetal position to protect herself. Tears leaked from her eyes as she gasped desperately for breath that would not come.

Mouth gaping like a fish, the woman tried to call for help but only the barest of wheezes were brought forth. Clawing at the floor, Valerie attempted to push herself into some sort of upright position but faced little success when agony spliced through her entire body.

Darkness started to creep into the edges of her vision. The sound of thundering footsteps caught her attention. Weakness overtook her limbs and reduced her to nothing but a twitching mass on the floor. White paws entered her sight before the overwhelming darkness consumed her.

* * *

**Well there we go!**

**Dan is such an asshole, but he's so much fun to write.**

**Leave a comment if you'd like, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	3. Diamond Hard- Reawakenings

**Alright, I'm back with a new chapter! Once again it has been edited by the lovely Lightning Streak!**

**I'm sorry if this chapter drags a little bit somewhere in the middle, but I had to get through some heavy character building and I'm sorry. Also we meet a familiar face in this as well! I hope you all like what I've done with them!**

 

**Also if anyone is interested, I have created a playlist on Spotify for Dan and Val. It's titled Dark Gray: A playlist dedicated to Dan and Val.**

* * *

Frostbite said sadly, "Clockwork, they are killing each other. If this continues, they will not have to worry about Pariah Dark, for they will have already perished at the hands of one another." He stood with his large muscular arms crossed, staring at the greatly deteriorated Dan Phantom. "He was even beginning to show some improvement for a short while before… this." The bedridden, unconscious ghost had taken a turn for the worst.

Blood had started to leak from Dan's mouth and down his throat where he had choked on it, sending him into a thrashing fit. It had been only through the combined strength of Frostbite and the Time Master that they had been able to halt Dan's harmful actions.

Afterwards, they then rushed to Valerie's aid, as Clockwork saw her future disappear. They found her writhing on the floor nearly unconscious from her injuries.

"I fear it may already be past the point of no return. Perhaps I did not intervene in time or chose the wrong path," Clockwork lamented, his aged shoulders drooping.

The large, white creature put a reassuring claw on his back, "This is not your fault, my friend. Please do not blame yourself. You did what you thought was right and for the greater good of us all. That is all we can ever ask of you."

"It is my burden to carry, Frostbite, but your concern in appreciated." Clockwork replied, exhausted. With much work left be done, there was no opportunity for rest. Taking a deep breath, the old ghost squared his shoulders as they shrunk to that of a child. "I know what I must do. I shall be gone for a short while. Can I leave these two in your care?"

The white creature nodded as his paw dropped from the other ghost's body, "Of course. I will make sure they are both safe and sound for when you return."

With that final reassurance, the Master of Time opened a blue portal and disappeared within its depths.

* * *

_Images and sensations passed through her mind's eye like a whirlwind, each appearing and disappearing before Valerie could grasp what it was. Every once in a while, one would stop and play out, revealing something like a memory._

_Only they weren't her memories._

_She had never been friends with Sam Manson or Tucker Foley. She saw scenes of hanging out, sharing jokes, and being bullied by a fourteen-year-old Dash. A stab of sadness shot through her at the knowledge that Dash would not survive the first waves of Phantom's assaults on the city before the Shield was erected. Paulina would be left heartbroken and desolate. The only distraction would be throwing herself headlong into developing the first of Valerie's new gear._

_Valerie then saw the Fenton family: Jack, Maddie, and Jazz all alive and well, acting like their usual boisterous selves, bumbling around and yelling about ghosts._

_The perspective she was viewing through sighed and did their best to avoid any attention._

_Visions continued to flash by at dizzying speed, making her feel nauseated._ _**Stop, make it stop** _ _, she thought._ _**I'm going to throw up!** _

_Suddenly, she was yanked out of the slideshow and into a void-like space. Dan Phantom floated fully dressed this time in a space that seemed to resemble the Ghost Zone with green swirls and spiralling movement. A scowl drew his face into stark, angry lines. "What are you doing here?"_

_Valerie glanced around helplessly, "I-I don't know. Where am I?"_

" _Somewhere you shouldn't be." He raised a glowing green hand. "Now get out."_

_A force pushed against her that sent her flying backwards._

* * *

Valerie opened her eyes groggily and gazed blankly at the ceiling.

A deep breath expanded her ribs, and a twinge of pain shot through her chest. Surprisingly, it was not nearly as sharp as she would have expected, but it was still enough to deter her from moving too much. She tried to carefully turn her head, and her black ringlet curls made the action slightly difficult.

A white, furry creature was sitting in a chair, looking rather tired and drawn too thin. Valerie tried to discreetly shift into a more comfortable position, but her limbs were stiff like they hadn't been moved in a long time. His yellow eyes snapped to her face when she groaned at her sore muscles protesting against her.

"Valerie, you are awake!" Frostbite exclaimed as he sat straighter, and his expression brightened considerably.

"How long was I out?" The grogginess of her voice told Valerie that it had been a substantial amount of time. Sighing heavily, the large creature stood laboriously and took a few steps over to her. A paw appeared underneath her shoulders and helped her sit up. The strain hurt her many injuries, but it was a dull ache and it felt good to finally be sitting again.

A loud growl from her stomach had her cheeks flushing a deep red, but the yeti like beast only chucked deep in his throat. Reaching for the steaming bowl on the nightstand, the large creature was relieved that for once his precautions would not go to waste as they had every time before.

"Nearly seven days." A spoonful of what looked to be some kind of stew hovered in front of her face. Valerie eyed the dubious-looking meet, but it smelled good, and she supposed she trusted Frostbite not to poison her. Attempting to lift an arm to take the utensil from his grasp, the young woman failed miserably. The appendage barely even twitched in response. "Muscle weakness is to be expected," Frostbite added. "It is nothing to be ashamed of, you are doing much better than I could have expected of you."

The stew neared her mouth. She tentatively opened and hesitantly allowed the furry white beast to feed her. Flavor exploded on her tongue as the thick broth touched it, the spices complimenting each other nicely in a tangy, sweet-and-sourness. It reminded her of the 'authentic Chinese food' that her father used to order for them every once in a while.

A jolt of white hot fear shot through her system. _Dad. The Resistance! They must all think I'm dead!_

Swallowing quickly, the young woman looked to Frostbite in a panic, her teal eyes widening. "My dad—everyone—I-I need to let them know I'm alive! They'll be so worried; Paulina has probably thrown a shit fit by now—"

"—Calm down, Valerie. Take a deep breath. I am sure that everything is fine. Clockwork explained that—"

"—Where is Clockwork?"

"He had some business to take care of and he is not—"

"—When will he be back? I-I need to speak with him!" She started to hyperventilate.

The yellow eyed beast put the bowl back on the table where it would be safe and then gently placed his hands on both of Valerie's arms, gaining her attention. "Be calm, my dear. Everything will be fine. Time does not pass the same here as it does in the mortal world and the rest of the ghost realms." He searched her eyes, watching carefully as she calmed. "Clockwork would not allow your people to suffer for almost two weeks without you to protect them from the threat of Pariah Dark."

Valerie's breathing returned to normal as she slowly calmed down. If what Frostbite said about Clockwork being the sole reason for his tribe's survival was true, then it was just as unlikely that he would leave humanity to suffer. Not to mention surely the self-proclaimed, all-knowing ghost knew that if Amity Park were destroyed as a result of her absence, he would lose her as an ally—and probably gain her as an enemy.

The young woman relaxed back against the mound of pillows supporting her. Frostbite leaned back giving her some space as he breathed a small sigh of relief. Once again grasping the bowl, the beast brought it back up hesitantly. "You need to get your strength back up, Valerie."

The infamous ghost hunter stared at the food. Her stomach growled lowly, reminding her of how empty it still was and how good that stew had tasted. Mouth watering, the injured woman's slightly greasy curls bounced as she nodded soundlessly. Having to be hand fed hurt her pride, but she understood that to be able to feed herself again, this was necessary.

On the plus side, at least Phantom wasn't there to mock her for her momentary weakness.

The next several minutes passed slowly as the stew bowl emptied, and by the last spoonful, Valerie could already feel her strength returning. She no longer relied quite so heavily on the pillows to support her, and her limbs seemed to be finally responding to her commands. They were shaky, and hesitant, but the young woman was willing to take her victories where she could win them.

As the white beast stood to take away the dirty dishes, a blue portal opened in the center of the room. From it stepped the familiar blue ghost known as Clockwork in the form of a young man. A shadow seemed to follow him from the gateway, but there wasn't enough information in the quick glimpse Valerie caught to be sure what it was.

"Ah, Valerie, you are awake. You gave us quite the scare when we found you on the floor." His calm voice instilled a sense of peace within the young woman, even as he described the events of finding her in such an ungraceful position. "Please forgive my absence until now. I was busy taking care of… other matters." The mysterious ghost glanced behind him to the shadowy figure.

Valerie sat up straighter, all senses on high alert. She more or less trusted Clockwork to make sure that whomever he brought here would be harmless, but old habits died hard. This was also the moment when the young woman realized that she didn't have any of her weapons on her. Suddenly feeling vulnerable and unprepared, she didn't like the feeling of depending on protection from creatures she had revered as the enemy for years.

The time ghost spoke encouragingly to the shadow, "You have nothing to fear. Here, you are safe, and I believe you know Valerie."

Hesitantly, the shadow crept out from behind him. The first thing that Valerie noticed was the bright orange hair followed by the complimentary blue head band. Ghostly red eyes stared at Valerie with apprehension as green hands came together nervously in front of a plain black, v-neck shirt.

Teal eyes widened in shock as recognition shot through her like a lightning strike.

Jazz Fenton.

"Hi, Valerie." Was the hesitant, familiar voice that seemed entirely foreign from the body of a ghost, despite the fact that the Red Huntress had known her in life.

"How—ghost… uh, what… Clockwork?" So many questions flooded Valerie's brain at once that she wasn't able to form a coherent sentence. Mind reeling, she leaned back against the pillows once more and tried to process everything that had just been unceremoniously dumped on her all at once.

"Perhaps we should give them some privacy, Clockwork," Frostbite wisely interrupted when a heavy silence fell over the room. "It is clear that they need to work out some obstacles time has put between them."

The Master of Time looked as if he were about to argue until the yeti's large claws closed around his arm and forcibly pulled him out of the room. A quiet click was the only indication of the door closing as the room remained in silence.

"I'm sorry that we have to meet like this, Valerie. I would have preferred it to be on better terms where Danny isn't trying to destroy the world," Jazz apologized softly, avoiding eye contact and looking at the floor.

"That isn't Danny," The dark-haired girl stated firmly from the bed, earning a surprised glance from the female ghost. "Danny has been dead for years. The bastard responsible for destroying the world is Phantom, and they are nothing alike." Once again doing her best to sit up straight, the Ghost Hunter maintained eye contact with the Fenton daughter, "Were you the only one to… no one else…?"

The question hung in the air between human and ghost, awkward silence settling in like an unwelcome guest. Jazz stroked an arm nervously and broke eye contact to stare at the ground, "No, I was the only one…" was the sad reply. Her shoulders drooped as grief seemed to worm its way into every line of her body.

"Where have you been until now? If Phantom had known you were back, maybe we could have avoided this whole situation! You could have talked to him, made him understand what he was doing. He would have listened to you, if anyone." Rage boiled in the Huntress's veins as the thought of the possibility that this whole miserable existence could have been prevented in the first place.

Tears sprung to the red eyes of the ghost, making them glow in the familiar otherworldly way she was accustomed to. Only the dark haired woman was used to it coming from her male arch enemy, not an orange haired girl whom she's once seen as an ally of sorts.

"That's what I wanted to do," the ghost snapped, anguish clear in her tone. "The instant I realized I had come back as a ghost, and learned of what Danny had done, I wanted nothing more than to make him realize that what he was doing was _wrong_! I was about to confront him when Clockwork appeared." The fire had left her voice until it was barely more than a murmur.

Valerie twitched at the name of the blue ghost. Was there anything Clockwork _didn't_ have his hands in? What kind of game was he playing here? The young woman didn't like the feeling of being used and manipulated. Perhaps she had underestimated this mysterious ghost.

"He told me that if I were to confront Danny, it would only drive him further into insanity and cause that much more destruction. Some ghosts had known me in life as his sister and would try to either use me as leverage against him, or would find me a more viable target for their frustrations with my brother." She sighed shakily and hugged herself tightly, "I didn't listen and went to face Danny. Skulker caught me before I got too far, and after he realized who I was, I became the personal punching bag for ghosts who'd been wronged at Danny's hands.

"I escaped a few days later, and Clockwork once again appeared to help me. He then explained that while there was nothing I could do at this time, I would be able to help in the future."

Valerie was completely silent as Jazz's explanation. It only hardened her resolve to eradicate the world of beings who didn't even care for their own kind, let alone others.

Jazz added, "For a while I stayed here, and then I left to live on my own in an area of the Ghost Zone where no one could find me. I remained there until now, when Clockwork once again appeared to me and said that my help was finally needed."

Valerie sat in silence for a bit, doing her best to process everything that the familiar figure had said. Jazz continued to stand, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. This confrontation was hard for her, and some semblance of empathy washed through the injured woman. Perhaps she had been too quick to judge the young, orange-haired ghost. From what she remembered of the Fenton daughter in life, she always strove to do what was right. Clearly there would have been extenuating circumstances for her to not have helped sooner.

Sighing carefully so as to not aggravate her ribs, Valerie moved to swing her legs over the side of the bed. The sheets tangled, making the action slightly more difficult than it needed to be, and she winced as the movement pulled on her still-tender torso.

"Well, I guess there's nothing that can be done about it now anyways. No sense in blaming you for something that wasn't your fault." Carefully placing weight onto her shaky legs, Valerie tried to stand. Her legs proved to not be strong enough, and she had to quickly grab onto the bed pole to keep from falling over. "Although since you're here, want to help me to the shower? I feel gross from lying in that bed for so long."

Jazz smiled apprehensively as she carefully approached the Red Huntress and pulled an arm over her ghostly shoulders, "Well it's more of a bath than a shower…"

* * *

The bath was unlike anything Valerie expected.

It was a large square room, decorated in familiar purples and blues with the central area being a ridiculously large bath. The water was steaming hot and fogged up the entire space. A waterfall churned the water into something akin to a jacuzzi tub. The young woman's jaw dropped as she laid eyes on the extravagantly lavish bathing area.

"This is _Clockwork's_?!" The dark haired woman's voice cracked with shock as she gazed around the room. Jazz chuckled nervously beside her and helped her over to the changing rooms.

"Well, actually, he made this for me." The young ghost girl said.

Eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, Valerie gave the Fenton daughter a bewildered stare.

Jazz grinned before she gently pushed the dark-haired girl behind the curtain. "Now hurry up and get undressed. I'll be out here if you need me!"

Valerie stumbled into the modest changing room, and after she caught herself against the wall, she slowly started to undress. The borrowed bathrobe was the easy part—her tight sports bra and boy shorts, on the other hand, we not. The struggle went on for so long that the young woman was sure that the ghost thought _her_ dead. Wrapping the supplied towel around her now exposed, naked form, Valerie exited the changing room.

Jazz stood waiting patiently with a woven basket full of what appeared to be shampoos and conditioners, and with any luck some soap as well. Valerie couldn't help but wonder just exactly where it had come from in the first place.

"Clockwork quickly popped in to drop this off. He said it might make things easier." Jazz said, and Valerie nodded in understanding, her black curls bouncing.

Ribs still aching from her ordeal with the clothes, she hurried into the bath, eager for the warm water in hopes that it would soothe her pain. "Right. Well, that was… _kind_ of him." The thought that the Master of Time had the ability to just _pop_ in whenever, wherever, settled uneasily in the Huntress's stomach.

She carefully unwrapped herself from the towel to preserve as much of her modesty as possible before settling into the nice hot water. Immediately, it started to ease the throbbing in her sides. Sighing contentedly, she sank in up to her neck, as her aches seemed separate from her body. Careful steps echoed up behind her, alerted Valerie to Jazz's presence once again.

"Do you need any help washing your hair or anything?" was another nervous question from the ghostly girl. The woman was about to protest until she recalled vivid memory of the pain it caused to raise her arms above her head and just how _tired_ she felt. The walk here had been a long one and the struggle to get out of her clothes had taken the last of her strength. Now she could barely keep her eyes open as she lounged against the edge of the bath.

When Valerie barely nodded, the female ghost kneeled down to help.

As Jazz's gentle fingers brushed through the tangled, greasy curls, the Red Huntress closed her eyes. She allowed the heat of the water and the sensation of having her hair washed to lull her into a state of bliss.

* * *

" _It figures that Clockwork would be over-the-top like this," a familiar baritone rumbled from off to the side. Adrenaline shot through Valerie system, and her eyes flew open to see none other than her arch nemesis lounging like he owned the place not more than a few feet from her in the same state of undress as he had been previously. The water thankfully obscured his lower half, so she didn't have to worry about whether or not he was also wearing pants._

" _Jesus Christ!" Valerie cursed as she wrapped her arms around herself and brought her knees up to preserve as much modesty as possible. Despite the fact that she was still in the water, the young woman didn't feel like that was enough between her and the ghost. Dan's red eyes raked over her naked form, and she glared as viciously as she could. The towel! Where was the towel?_

_Quickly glancing over to the edge of the water, the piece of fluffy cloth that would keep her body hidden from his hungry gaze lay in a rumpled pile. The male ghost sitting opposite to her seemed to have the same idea as she did. He too glanced at the innocent fabric before meeting her stare once again. A malicious grin slid onto his face a moment before they lunged for the article at the same time._

_Water splashed haphazardly in all directions, and once it had finally calmed, the young woman came up empty-handed. The towel was firmly in Phantom's grip as he laughed maniacally, holding his prize above his head. A furious blush appeared on her cheeks, staining them a deep red that she was hoping to blame on the hot water._

" _Oh come on, Valerie, I'll give it back," He leered victoriously and waved the bit of cloth in her face, "if you ask nicely." His voice turned into a purr, and the Huntress's glare only deepened as she tightened her arms around her chest and drew her knees up as far as they would go._

" _You can go to hell," was her clipped response as she watched the ghost carefully._

_His grin widened further, if that were possible, and he turned his attention to the towel in his grasp. "Now, that's no way to ask politely. Where_ _**are** _ _your manners, Valerie?"_

" _Up your ass, along with your head. It's not a hat, by the way, you should probably pull it out."_

_He laughed heartily, baring his sharp fangs that were responsible for the marks still blemishing her shoulder. "Pulling out was never my strong suit," Phantom replied as he waggled his eyebrows._

_Valerie could only scoff, rolling her eyes. "You have the mind of a grade schooler and the maturity of a toddler." Then she glanced around for the ghost of the young Jazz Fenton, who had disappeared completely. With any luck, she was safe away from the monster currently lounging in front of her._

" _One of us has to have fun. You're always so serious Valerie. You need to learn to loosen up." Once again his eyes roved her body and the young woman braced herself for fight or flight. "I could help you with that if you want. Now's the perfect time if any. You're naked," he added, putting down the cloth back onto the edge of the water, Dan started to close the distance between them._

_Desperate, the young woman scrambled backwards but felt as though the water were twice as thick as it should be._

" _You're wet," he said, hardly inconvenienced by it at all. In fact, he made hardly a ripple as he strode effortlessly towards her. His face darkened with ill intent as a wild smirk curled his lips upwards. "…And best of all, we're_ _ **all alone**_ _."_

_Her back hit a sharp edge, earning a wince and a moment's hesitation to find the source, which was the edge of the bath. That time was all Dan needed as he trapped her between two arms. Looming over her, the male ghost continued to ogle everywhere but her eyes. Tightening her arms around her chest, Valerie made sure to cover as much skin as possible._

" _I swear to God, Phantom, if you touch me I'll make you regret it." Thankfully her voice was stronger than she hoped, even though everything else in her body felt like jelly. The feeling of being vulnerable and helpless wasn't something she liked in the slightest, and especially not while she was naked in the bath._

" _Don't threaten me with a good time, Valerie," Dan growled as he lowered himself towards her, and her heart sped up to dangerous levels. Instincts kicking in, the young woman lashed out, catching him in the knee with her heel, noting that he hadn't used intangibility again to avoid the attack. The viscosity of the water dampened the blow significantly but it was still enough to knock him off balance so she could slip out from underneath him._

_Without any hesitation, she immediately started wading back towards where he had left the towel. The liquid encasing her body slowed her movements increasingly the farther she got from the male ghost and the closer she got to the towel until eventually it seemed like she was hardly moving at all. Once she was almost within arm's reach, a frigid arm snaked around her middle and pulled her against an equally frigid body._

" _Aww, you're so close Valerie, all you have to do is reach out and grab it. Go on, you can do it." His words were meant to be supportive, but she could read the patronizing undertone in his voice as he whispered in her ear. Her breath came in small gasps at the absolute freezing temperature of his skin contrasting heavily with the steaming hot water._

" _D-don't t-t-touch me."_ _Valerie gasped and tried frantically to free herself from his grip with her one free hand while the other still tightly covered her chest. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect as another cold hand snaked down to her hip and settled itself there quite comfortably much to the young woman's displeasure._

" _But where would be the fun in keeping my distance? Don't you rmember what I said the first time we met in the bedroom?" His mouth had moved down to her ear, where he only had to whisper for her to hear him loud and clear, "Fear and helplessness look good on you. I want to_ _ **personally**_ _make sure you wear them more often."_

" _I didn't forget, but it seems to have slipped_ _ **your**_ _mind that you can't use your intangibility. If you don't unhand me right now, you bastard, I'm going to give you a beating like you wouldn't believe." She threatened him in return and a deep chuckled rumbled through his chest but when he didn't immediately comply with her demands, she pinched the sensitive webbing in between his thumb and forefinger. Phantom hissed with pain and retracted his hand, once again freeing Valerie to continue her path to the coveted towel._

_As her fingers closed around it, she in turn felt cold fingers tightly grip her leg right below the hip joint and pulled her back towards the ghost. Knees slipping out from underneath her, she plunged face first into the water. The heat seared her skin and all thoughts of modesty flew out the window as survival instincts kicked in._

_Strong hands flipped her around so she faced the surface only an instant before they closed around her windpipe and began to squeeze as tightly as they could. Teal eyes popped open underwater as water flooded her nose._

_A watery outline of flaming white hair and an insane grin surrounded by a green face loomed above her. The Red Huntress's fingers clawed at the hands choking and drowning her. Panic began to set in. the water seemed to thicken, hindering any sort of struggle she tried to put up. It cradled her whole body like a warm blanket and slowly her movement was limited to barely more than a twitch._

_Gaping like a fish, her lungs tried their best to drag in a breath of air, but it was useless while Dan's hands were firmly clamped around her throat. She was going to die. This time for sure. She would die naked, afraid, and at the hands of her arch enemy who would do God-knew-what to her corpse. No doubt he would want to keep it as some sort of sick trophy, or throw it at the feet of her father as a means of gloating his victory._

_No. she couldn't give up. There had to be a way out, some sort of weakness in this trap._

_One last test of mobility, and Valerie found it._

_With the last of her strength, the young woman snarled up at the ghost before she used her whole body to buck her hips up and free her legs from the confines of the water. Placing her feet on his bare chest, she took careful aim before she brought her foot back and delivered a strong kick to his face. Then another. Even as blackness started to overtake her vision, she didn't stop until she could feel the cold wetness of his ecotplasmic blood on the bottom of her feet._

_As he was pushed backwards, his hands left her neck. Flailing around like the drowning woman she was, Valerie desperately clawed her way to the surface._

Spluttering rather ungracefully, the young woman tried to clear her nostrils of water while at the same time also doing her best to drag in a lungful of air. She was prepared for Dan to attack again as she once again pulled an arm over her chest only to find the pool was…

…empty?

"Valerie!" cried a clear, worried voice, and Valerie turned to see Jazz kneeling on the edge of the pool and looking as if she were about to jump in.

"Jazz? What are— I was—Where did he go?" Gasping, the injured woman clung to her aching ribs as they throbbed in time with her heavy breathing. It was only now that she was no longer taking a healthy ribcage for granted, that she realized they hadn't hurt while she had been fighting Dan.

"Valerie what happened? There is no one here but you and me. You fell alseep while I was washing your hair, and then I assumed you were having some sort of nightmare. I tried to wake you up, but I couldn't and then you were dragged under the water! I was about to jump in and pull you to the surface when you came up choking," the young girl explained apprehensively as the other woman slowly and carefully made her way back to the edge of the water. She was still slightly on guard that Phantom was somewhere nearby and was going to pop back up at any second and try to kill her again. "Oh my god…" the orange haired girl gasped as she covered her mouth with a green hand, "Where did you get _those_?! They weren't on your neck before!"

Valerie fingered her throat, where she could tell new bruises were forming from where Dan had just tried to suffocate her—proof that what had just happened, once again, hadn't been any sort of illusion whatsoever. It was real. Dread sunk like a lead weight into her stomach.

She needed to find out just how he was able to do that and what she could do to stop it.

Before she could put anymore thought into the matter, a blue portal opened in the middle of the room, and the Master of Time himself appeared as an elderly man with a long beard. Upon realizing that not everyone in the room was exactly _decent,_ he quickly averted his eyes to the wall on the far side of the room in the complete opposite direction.

"My apologies, Valerie. I would not normally intrude, but there has been a drastic turn of events that I had hoped would not come to pass. Your assistance is needed immediately." Clockwork spoke urgently and in the time he was speaking, Jazz was helping Valerie out of the pool and to get covered up with the towel. Then with a wave of his staff, the bathrobe she had used to cover herself on the walk here flew out of the changeroom toward the two girls standing on the edge of the water.

Not wasting any time, Valerie quickly donned it, wishing for her bra and underwear, but clearly whatever was going on was urgent. Once she was more or less dressed, the young woman walked towards the portal. Jazz was close beside her, which comforted Valerie more than she'd ever care to admit.

"Okay, Clockwork, let's go." Jazz spoke with a confidence that she had missed when Valerie knew her in life.

"Very well, follow me," was his short reply as once again he disappeared into the swirling portal. Both of the women followed him, the human slightly more apprehensive than the ghost.

She stepped through and exited into a bedroom, where all hell broke loose.

Frostbite was crouched over a bed where someone was coughing and choking something horrible. Orange hair covered the injured woman's view for a moment as the young ghost flew over to the bedside, only to gasp in horror and cover her mouth with both of her hands.

"Clockwork, he is fading! I cannot stop him!" the large white beast roared. As a green glow flared brightly, and a crackling filled the air that had her hair sparking with static electricity. Immediately, Valerie knew whose room they were in and just exactly who was fading.

Dan Phantom himself. The majority of his body was hidden by Frostbite who was bent over him desperately trying to keep the comatose ghost from fading away. From what she could see, however, was that there was a lot of ectoplasmic blood staining the sheets under his head.

"What's going on? Why am I here, Clockwork?" she demanded of the Master of Time.

"Valerie, you are the only one who can save him now." The blue ghost turned to her with a pleading look on his face. In his aged hand was a familiar, red object that the young woman recognized instantly. He held the gauntlet of her battle suit out to her, but she only hardened her teal gaze into ice.

"Why would I bother to save that _monster_? He's done nothing but torment, murder and destroy everything I hold sacred. He's tried to kill me several times since we've been here, despite the fact that he's supposed to be in a coma, and he's done nothing to earn my help." She paused to take in another breath, "Not to mention he already owes me his life once over from his encounter with Pariah Dark."

"That is precisely why you need to save him. Pariah Dark presents a threat too powerful to face all on your own. You will need to work together with Dan Phantom if you wish to defeat him and save your family from destruction." Clockwork pleaded his elderly hand beginning to shake with the effort of holding up the metal glove. "Please, Valerie Gray. I know what he has done to you. But you are our only hope."

* * *

**Oh no! What's happening to Dan? Why can only Valerie save him? :P Next time!**

**Points to anyone who understands the reference of that last line!**

**Leave me with a comment if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	4. Diamond Hard- Regrets

**Alright here is the next chapter! Edited once again by The Lightning Streak because she's so awesome!**

**There's a new character introduced in this chapter and I hope you all like her. She's an OC (because I can never resist) and I hope that you all like her!**

* * *

"No." Valerie's sharp response cut through the air. It gained the attention of Jazz who still hovered over the comatose form of Dan Phantom. "I refuse to help save that _monster_. But I do want my battle suit back." She swiped the gauntlet from Clockwork's grip.

Clockwork's expression fell to one of deep sadness. "Valerie, I understand this will be difficult for you _—has_ been difficult for you. But this is about the future of both the human realm and the Ghost Zone. I can help to protect you from this new power Dan seems to have developed so that you are secure while you remain here."

"And you weren't doing that before because…?"

"I have been forced to put my attention elsewhere as of late. I do not have another excuse." The elderly ghost lowered his gaze, and his shoulders drooped.

Frostbite interrupted then, desperate and frightened, "I cannot sustain his power core! It's fading out. We need something to get it started again, but I do not have the necessary equipment to do so!"

Jazz floated over to Valerie, looking even more sad and desperate than the other two ghosts combined. "Valerie, please," the young girl begged, appear every bit the sixteen-year-old girl she had been when she died. "I lost Danny once, I can't do it again."

A snarl lifted the Huntress's lip as she snapped, "I've already told you _that_ thing is _not Danny_. Danny died almost nine years ago, at the hand of the monster inhabiting this room!"

Jazz blinked, taken aback by the viciousness of her response. Eyes watering, the young girl refused to give up her stance, "Valerie, I'm begging you, _please_ help him. I haven't given up hope that my little brother is in there somewhere and neither should you!" Sniffling and wiping away the tears that overflowed onto her cheeks, she continued miserably, "Please… he's all I've got left of my family. Don't make me lose them again."

The mention of _family_ struck a chord deep within Valerie's being, and her heart started to soften towards the Fenton daughter and her plight. The young ghost had lost so much in such a short period of time. In one fell swoop, the incident at the Nasty Burger had taken everything away from her. Her family, friends, and her home.

Another blast of green emanated from Frostbite as he continued to try and get Phantom's power core started. It was brighter this time, and there was a roar of fury over from the bed. Jazz whipped her head around and gazed worriedly over at the other two ghosts.

In that moment, Valerie relented. "I won't do it for his sake, but I'll do it for yours." She pulled the glove onto her right hand and activated her suit. It formed up her arm and over her body, filling her with a sense of safety that had been absent for quite some time now. Her helmet was absent but likely not needed it for the task ahead.

"Thank you, Valerie." A watery smile brightened Jazz's face considerably, and Valerie felt slightly better about the whole situation. It began to feel like the right thing to do despite the fact that she was saving the very man she swore to destroy.

"What do I have to do?" Valerie asked of Clockwork still hovering in front of her.

He seemed pleased that she was now willing to help. "We need to get his power core running again. I believe your suit has some electric capabilities, does it not?"

The young woman felt her ears perk up slightly. "You're saying I'm going to jumpstart him? Like a car?" She was incredulous but slowly becoming more excited. She liked the idea that she would get to electrocute her arch enemy while he was prone and helpless.

The Master of Time nodded with a small smile curling the edges of his mouth.

Smirking evilly, Valerie briskly made her way over to the bed where Frostbite still labored and approached on the side closest to the head of the bed.

The sight before her was gruesome. Dan lay with his eyes rolled into the back of his head, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, soaking the linens below him. Bruises mottled his increasingly pale skin all along his face and chest, no doubt from where she had kicked him in the bath not five minutes ago. She was not surprised to see that he was shirtless with only his pants to cover him.

The large, white beast commended her as he shifted to give her some room. "I hope you know I'm proud of you for this, Valerie. I fully understand how hard it is to help your enemy, especially when they have wronged you so personally." His large claws were placed over where a human heart would be located and a steady green glow emanated from his hands. "Now, I need you to put your hands where mine are and deliver a burst of electricity, which will hopefully boost his power core enough to get it started again. Can you do that?"

"It shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as the power for my suit holds out."

Doing as Frostbite had asked, she placed her hand on Dan's chest, and after a moment of hesitation, she sent electricity coursing out through the palm of her hand. His body arched up, stiff with the electrical current pushing through his system.

His green skin, now a deathly, translucent pale blue, slowly seemed to regain some of its original color. Bringing her hand back, she cut the supply of energy, and his body flopped lifelessly back to the bed. Almost instantly, the color started to drain again. Valerie once again put her hand on his chest and continued to feed energy into him.

The flow of electricity was significantly weaker this time, and he was fading faster than she could sustain him. "My suit isn't strong enough. Frostbite, I need your help with this."

"Of course."

She ordered, "My suit can use ectoplasmic energy as a power source. Place both of your hands on my back and do what you were doing with Dan. It'll be absorbed and converted into electricity that I can channel into his power core. As long as you keep both hands on my suit you won't be electrocuted."

The large beast did not hesitate.

As the flow of energy began, Valerie began to feel cold as a result of the ectoplasm-based power. Her suit kicked into high gear, converting it to a current usable by her technology.

Phantom's back arched higher than before as she began to smoke and spark with the massive influx of energy she was receiving. Snarling, the Red Huntress placed both hands down onto his chest, doubling the amount of electricity going into his body.

"Come on you, son of a bitch. Wake up," she hissed as every last bit of electricity was forced without mercy into his body.

With the sound of a jet engine revving to the max, Dan's skin suddenly exploded in green light as his power core thrummed with energy. A hand latched onto her arm so tightly, it dented the armor as his glowing, crimson eyes locked onto her form.

Fear flew through her system for the briefest of seconds before a growl resonated from behind her. A white claw removed Phantom's hand from her, and a furry wall was placed between her and the bedridden ghost. A struggle instantly started as Dan fought against Frostbite, who was doing his best to hold him down.

"Enough," The monotonous voice of Clockwork spoke out from behind them, and a purple glow appeared over Dan's body, easily holding him down.

"I should have known you would be responsible for this, Clockwork!" an irate Dan bellowed out to the room.

Frostbite carefully stepped away from the bed, his great shoulders heaving with breath as he moved to stand beside Valerie, who deactivated her suit. It was spent now, having not been repaired from its last encounter with Pariah Dark. She would need to send it to the lab. (Paulina was going to kill her.)

The Master of Time chided Dan as if he were a child, "Responsible for saving your afterlife? No, that was Valerie. Or perhaps did you mean the one who nursed you back to health, which would be Frostbite. I think you'll find I did very little to aid you, _Danny_ Phantom."

It was at this moment that Valerie realized Jazz was nowhere to be seen. A quick glance yielded no results as to where the young ghost girl might have gone. Valerie found that to be strange, since she was the one who had pressured her the most to save the fading ghost.

" _Valerie_ saved me?" Hysterical laughter sounded from the bed. "She'd sooner save a fish from drowning. Don't you see what she's done to me, Clockwork?" Dan did his best to gesture to the multitude of injuries present all over his body. "That woman is a menace."

" _I'm_ the menace?!" the young woman snapped, once again approaching the bed, pushing Frostbite out of the way. "Who murdered millions of people in cold blood? _Who_ destroyed thousands of cultures worldwide? And _**who**_ started this whole mess in the first place?!" She paused for a second to take in a breath, about to continue but a sudden spike of agony through her chest cut her sentence short.

Dan spoke calmly, "It's only murder if it's one human killing another." A mad grin stretched across his face, "And I haven't been human for a long time, dear Valerie." His voice had grown raspier as the surplus of energy in his core was used up, but it made his statement even more eerie.

He fell asleep once again, red eyes drifting shut, and Valerie chilled to the bone.

The purple bonds surrounding Dan's form dissipated into thin air, but Valerie continued to watch. She was convinced his eyes would snap back open and utter a "Just kidding" as he lunged towards her, hands outstretched for her throat. But he never did. Phantom continued to lay there, the only noticeable movement being the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept.

" _I haven't been human for a long time…"_

That sentence reverberated in her mind. A tremor started in Valerie's hands that travelled to the rest of her body until she was shaking so badly, the young woman could barely hold herself upright. The surety of how he'd said that one line disturbed her beyond all measure. He didn't care. He felt no remorse. He had probably enjoyed it.

A deep voice rumbled beside her and a hand appeared on her back, but it was like she was hearing them through a thick wall. The resonance of the voice carried, but the words were lost.

Her breath came hard and fast, as she stared at Dan's unconscious form, his chest rising and falling steadily with breath that _she_ had put back in his lungs. A steady thrum of his power core that _she_ had boosted. Injuries that were now healing steadily before her eyes because _she_ had saved him.

What had she done?

No one would be able to stop him once he was well enough to be up and about. Phantom would find her room like he had already done with the help of his new power, and he would kill her. He'd probably torment her first—what he enjoyed more than anything.

More voices rumbled around her, but still none were strong enough to make it through to her.

_This was a mistake. This was a_ _**mistake. This** _ _was a_ _**mistake** _ _._ _**This was a mistake!** _

The Huntress's legs crumpled beneath her, and everything went dark.

* * *

_When she awoke next, the first thing Valerie noticed was the familiar canopy of her bed in Clockwork's palace._

_The second thing was that it was dark._

_And the third was that she was not alone._

_The semi-luminescent form of Dan Phantom sat on the opposite side of the bed facing out the window into the nauseating swirls of the ghost zone. Once again, he was wearing only the pants of his jumpsuit while his upper torso was bare._

_The young woman froze, not daring to move an inch in fear that it would catch his attention._

" _There is no use trying to pretend, Valerie. I know you are awake." His familiar baritone voice rumbled into the empty air between them. Red eyes glanced over a perfectly sculpted shoulder to settle on her._

_Hardening her teal gaze, Valerie sat up and immediately realized she was still clad in only the bathrobe she was borrowing from Clockwork. Grasping the front, she made sure that it was closed as tightly as it would go as she carefully crawled out of the bed. Standing at the edge made her feel more prepared for anything he might try._

" _What do you want, Phantom?" the young woman spat, her voice wavering only a little, but it was all he needed to realize she was afraid._

_A self-satisfied smirk split his features and revealed his upper fangs that glistened in the limited light. "What I always want Valerie. For you and the rest of that infestation you call Amity Park to bow down to me as your undisputed ruler." He stood and turned towards her, staring her down with his glowing crimson eyes. His smirk widened into a grin, "Or for you to die, should you continue to refuse my demands. You see, my dear, this whole situation is really your fault. I would be more than happy to let your pathetic race live, as long as you submit to me."_

" _Don't you try and blame this on me! It was_ _ **you**_ _who struck the first blow against us! We only defended ourselves against whenever_ _ **you**_ _would attack." Valerie stood straight as she faced his accusations. "You're sick, and I'll never bow to you and neither will Amity Park!"_

_He laughed harshly and slowly started to stalk around the side of the bed, "See that's what I like about you Valerie, because if you fall, then everything falls. You are the foundation to everything that your_ _**precious** _ _Resistance stands for." Valerie didn't give him a chance to get close and made sure that for every one step he took forwards, she took one back. The predatory look in his eye made her wary. "Sometimes I have a hard time believing that they are so willing to put their Queen in so much danger when she is the most valuable player on the board."_

_Phantom continued their game of cat and mouse as Valerie continued to evade him. She challenged, "You claim you want us to die if we don't bow to you, that you want me to die. Well here's your big chance, you asshole. My suit's out of commission, I'm still injured from our last fight and unable to sleep properly because of you! You'll never get another opportunity like this, so what are you waiting for?"_

_His face darkened under the shadow of fury._

_The room shifted out of focus slightly for a moment before it was back into clarity. Her next step had her falling over backwards onto the bed. She thought,_ _**What? But, the bed had been in front of me! Why…?** _ _She didn't give herself any more time to think when she realized what a vulnerable position she was in._

_Rolling gracefully to the side, Valerie managed to get onto her knees and thought she was prepared for anything until two crimson orbs appeared only inches from her own. Cold hands gripped her shoulders, and before she could do anything else, she was pushed down onto her back._

" _It burns to admit that you're right, I won't get another perfect opportunity like this to kill you. But for once, you are more useful to me alive." He patted her cheek condescendingly, and she jerked her head away. The question of 'why?' flew through her mind but he didn't elaborate and before she could demand to know, Phantom was tightening his grip on her shoulders. Wincing, Valerie could feel the bruises forming underneath his hands. His grin widened with malicious glee, "And there are_ _ **so many**_ _different ways to enjoy ourselves without killing each other."_

" _Get off, don't touch me!" the Huntress commanded, but Dan merely laughed in response,_

" _Hah, don't touch_ _ **you**_ _? Oh, Valerie," he leaned over her, blocking out what minimal light there was in the room as everything started to dissolve, "that should be my line." As he spoke, his form along with everything else blurred turning into mist. His ominous, glowing crimson eyes were the last to disappear._

* * *

Coming back to wakefulness, Valerie noticed her sheets smelt of freshly fallen snow on a freezing cold day. They were a pleasant coolness that chilled the heated temperature of her skin very nicely. The young woman often found herself overheating while she slept and waking up in a sweat in the morning more often than not. So for once to be waking up at a decent temperature was a nice change.

Pressing her cheek further into the source of the cooling sensation, Valerie tried to absorb as much of it as she could. It was only when she realized the cooling source wrapped itself back around _her_ that something was wrong.

Inanimate objects didn't move by themselves.

Teal eyes popping open with a rush of fear, the young woman finally laid eyes on just exactly what it was she was snuggling against. Or in this case, _who_. Valerie stared, horrified, at the expanse of green skin that was beneath her. An arm was curled around her back pressing her body even more firmly against his.

Dan.

Suddenly, the cooling sensation was freezing.

Swallowing a scream, Valerie did her best to wriggle her way out of his grip while at the same time not alerting him to her presence. The last thing she needed was him to wake up and see her like this. A quick glance down at herself revealed that the bathrobe was still the only article of clothing she wore, and it was almost completely open at the top.

"Now, what would your father say if he saw you like this, with me?" the menace below her rumbled, the raspiness of sleep still evident in his deep voice. The hand on her back flexed, pulling her flush against him as panic began to set in. Blood red irises stared unabashedly at her as a smirk pulled the corner of his lip up.

"I'm sure he would say the same thing I would. Let go of me, you bastard." Steel laced her tone as she pulled the neckline of the bathrobe tightly closed and once again attempted to push away from her captor. The flex of her muscles across her torso pulled her ribs painfully, and Valerie was unable to hide a wince.

"Tsk tsk, there you go hurting yourself again, Valerie. You just don't know when to stop, do you? Don't worry, _I'll take_ _ **good**_ _care of you."_ In one fluid motion that blurred in Valerie's vision, Dan appeared hovering above her, holding her down by the shoulders. "All you have to do is stay right _here_."

"Don't touch me, Phantom. I'm not staying anywhere within a hundred feet of you." The young woman tried to wriggle out of his iron grip but only succeeded in pulling the robe down over a shoulder. There was a beat of silence as his eyes travelled down to the expanse of bare skin. Her heart sped up to dangerous speeds as a grin with nothing but ill intentions behind it revealed his upper fangs. Gripping the blue bathrobe, he pulled down the other shoulder evening out both sides.

"My, my, Valerie. Rather under-dressed, aren't we?" Dan murmured with that horrible smirk still firmly plastered on his face. Teal eyes stared up in thinly veiled horror at the two crimson orbs hovering above her. She tightened the hold she had on the opening of the robe with one hand. With the other, she tried to push on his chest, only for her hand to pass through harmlessly. A chuckle rumbled through his chest as she flailed her hand around to find purchase somewhere on his body, all to no avail as he used his intangibility everywhere she tried to touch. "This is the real world now, my dear. Here, I have all my powers."

A hand removed itself from her shoulder to seize hold of the belt holding her robe closed. Immediately, Valerie clasped a hand over his, preventing him from undoing the knot while at the same time maintaining her grip on the neckline to ensure that it would also remain closed. Panicking, she started to kick and struggle as hard as she could, but all to no avail when her limbs passed through his body harmlessly. Ribs protesting loudly, her rough actions had tears leaking from her eyes. A low sadistic, chortle sounded from the male ghost, who was clearly enjoying her distress as he tugged the belt.

A ferocious roar reverberated throughout the room.

Red eyes widened in shock as blue claws wrapped around the back of his neck and shoulders, nearly closing into a large fist. Then before either of them could react, suddenly Dan was no longer above Valerie who was left to stare at the ceiling. The crash of something heavy being thrown into the wall rumbled through the building. Plaster and drywall crumbled to the floor as the young woman carefully pushed herself up, trying her best to aggravate her injuries as little as possible.

Phantom lay crumpled in a crater that spider web-cracked in a ten-foot radius up the wall. Several pieces were missing, which had landed either around the ghost or on him, comically dusting him in a light blue powder from the paint. Frostbite stood opposite to him, his shoulders tight and hands flexed in preparation for any retaliation Dan would unleash. But he didn't move an inch and remained under the rubble, unconscious.

"Valerie, are you alright?" Frostbite asked, surprisingly gently after the ferocious display.

Struggling to breathe properly because of her injuries, the young woman could only nod. "How did I get here?" she wheezed, forcing the air from her lungs as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Making sure to keep a watchful eye on the ghost currently cratered in the wall, Frostbite turned to help her get to her feet. He whispered, "Jasmine said you were sleepwalking here. She said she tried to wake you, but it was like you were in a trance—she could not make it through. fter seeing that you were being led here, she quickly fled to find me."

Valerie was confused by his secrecy; why did he need to whisper? "What about Mr. I-Know-Everything-Master-of-Time Clockwork? Where was he in this? And why are we whispering? What's the big secret?" She was entirely displeased with how the time ghost was breaking his promise to help keep her safe from Dan.

The corner of Frostbite's lip twitched upward at the mention of her sarcastic nickname for Clockwork. "He is in the process of making sure that Phantom will not bother you any further and should be back shortly. As for the secret, Jasmine has expressed desire to keep her existence a secret from Dan."

"Why?"

"She did not say and I did not pry, but I believe she still feels some apprehension about confronting the reality that her brother is why she was tortured in her first days of ghosthood."

That revelation hit Valerie like a sack of bricks.

Jazz knew that it was because of the ghost who used to be Danny that she had been targeted but yet had still been the most insistent to save him. The degree to which she valued his life was astounding. Valerie never had any siblings at all—was this the bond that made people act so selflessly?

Falling plaster sounded over where Phantom was sitting, and both Frostbite and Valerie quickly looked up to see the enemy ghost was picking himself up off the floor. Bits of rubble fell from his shoulders as he fixed a crimson glare onto the white beast, who stood protectively in front of the woman. A green glow began to surround Dan as he levitated off the ground. His flame hair flickered wildly as his energy was released in powerful waves that even lifted her curly hair off her shoulders.

Frostbite said, "Daniel, calm yourself. This is not the time or the place."

"That is not my name." he snarled with a strange resonance to his voice as a low hum permeated the air, the gusts picked up in strength as the bed sheets began to fly up.

Frostbite growled low in his throat as his claws started to glow with a blue radiance. Valerie felt goosebumps appear on her skin when the air around him got noticeably colder. The atmosphere was so heavily charged with ectoplasmic energy; it was beginning to make her curly hair frizzy with static.

Dark clouds suddenly formed in the center of the room, expanding in a thundercloud-like formation. The ice ghost turned towards the anomaly, but Dan remained focused on the white beast. In the instant that Frostbite turned his gaze, Phantom took the opportunity to ready a ghost ray aimed directly at him.

A thunderclap broke through the air with a snap so loud, it made Valerie's ears ring. Then the smoke cleared to reveal a tall woman with red hair that flowed like a river and just as translucent with matching red eyes. Her skin was a dark blue, almost purple, and she had one hand outstretched with her long slender fingers ready to snap. Her deep, melodic voice echoed throughout the room. "That's enough out of you. Sit!"

As her fingers snapped, more rubble crumbled and fell from the ceiling to land on Dan, burying him under its weight.

Valerie stared in shock. Surely, the ceiling collapsing had just been a coincidence?

A blue portal opened itself beside the mysterious woman in red, and Clockwork himself emerged from it in the form of a young man. He surveyed the damage with a look of despair written on his face. Scowling, he addressed the female ghost. "I would appreciate it if my home wasn't destroyed in the process of your karmic backlash."

She waved off the time ghost. "Do not blame me for the outcome of his actions. It is not my fault. The already deteriorated state of the room simply proved the most useful source to stop him. Plus, with a wave of your magic wand, you should be able to clean this up in no _time_ at all. Tick Tock, Clockwork." The red ghost turned her pupil-less eyes to the young woman sitting on the bed, "Now, what do we have here?" With graceful steps, she began to make her way towards Valerie.

Sitting as straight as she could, the Huntress met her gaze evenly, not backing down. If there was one thing she had learned with Phantom, it was that showing fear never ended well. Fear was a weakness that needed to be contained at all times, and with how easily this newcomer had dispatched her arch enemy, it was clear that she was very powerful.

"Frostbite of the Far Frozen Realm and Valerie Gray the Red Huntress and infamous Ghost Slayer, most notably known for fighting against the Ravager of Worlds, Dan Phantom. An impressive legacy, one that will help you in the battle to come, but one you are not fit to fight in your current state." Her tone was not patronizing or mocking in any way, but Valerie couldn't help but feel inadequate nonetheless, "Though I suppose that is to be my purpose here. Clockwork has informed me that Dan has developed a new power that he is using to cause… _trouble._ I will make sure that under my watch, he does not bother you further. You may call me Karma."

Frostbite gasped dramatically and got down onto one knee, "I have heard rumors of your existence, my lady, but none were ever confirmed to be true until this moment. It is truly an honor to be in your presence." He spoke reverently at the bare feet of the female ghost.

Karma smiled gently and put a hand on top of his head, "You have always been in my good graces, and I hope you shall continue to be in them until your last day."

Valerie watched this display with confusion. Why was Frostbite treating this 'Karma' like some sort of goddess? Not that she didn't look the part. Her red halter top revealed a toned and flat stomach. The matching skirt had two slits that revealed long slender legs and were cinched to the fabric at her hips with two golden medallions. The only thing that marred her otherwise perfect complexion were the many scars littered across her skin.

They were a silvery shade of lavender and Valerie could tell, even from where she was sitting a fair distance away, that they were horrible scars. Some were raised and caught the light revealing their knotted lines. Others were like crevices, cutting deep into her flesh giving the appearance that someone, or something, had gouged out her tissue through brutal torture.

The rubble pile started to shift as a flaming head pushed through the debris and soon the rest of the green body followed. Panting heavily, with a slow trickle of green blood running down his jaw, Dan glared viciously at the room's occupants. The red ghost in particular got the brunt of his stare. She seemed unfazed as she turned to face him.

"I hear you have been a nuisance to Clockwork as well as everyone else who is present in this room. That will no longer be permitted under my watch," Karma spoke calmly as her hair began to float above her shoulders, shifting unpredictably like frothing waves on a stormy sea.

Phantom snarled and assumed a defensive stance, "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am something that has been overdue for much too long." Her voice echoed with a power that Valerie could feel deep in her being as one purple arm raised into the air. "I am everything that is good." Slender fingers outstretched into the air began to draw with a red light, a glowing line in the empty space in front of the mysterious ghost. "I am everything that is bad." She continued to draw with a perfect, continuous single line an increasingly complex design that was almost beginning to look like a Celtic knot. "And in this case, Dan Phantom, I am your worst nightmare." Connecting the end of her stroke back to the beginning, the design glowed even brighter, and Valerie's eyes widened in recognition. That was the endless knot symbol commonly used to represent the connection between cause and effect. "I am Karma." Placing her palm into the center it shone like a star before.

Dan suddenly cried out like he'd been burned.

Once the light had dimmed, Valerie watched her arch enemy carefully. He was doubled over, clutching his neck with both hands, snarling in pain. Red geometric designs like the one Karma had drawn in the air spread over his shoulders and down his chest. As they formed the final shape, the marks turned a flat black against his green skin.

"Now you will know pain like those who suffer under your hand." The echo in her voice lessened to the point where it no longer hurt the young woman's eardrums. "This mark represents the collective negative energy and subsequent consequences of your actions. Good deeds will cause the mark to shrink and eventually disappear, but should you continue on your current path, it will grow to consume your body. Once that happens, you will die."

Phantom struggled to stand straight, but it was clear the marks hurt as his muscles shifted underneath his skin. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air, and that was when Valerie woman realized he had been _branded_ by her power. Sympathy started to raise its head in Valerie's heart until the memory of all the pain and hurt he had caused her crashed into the forefront of her memory. Sympathy turned to satisfaction.

Turning her attention back to the red-robed ghost, the Huntress realized that she truly was the living embodiment of Karma, just as Clockwork was the living embodiment of Time. The phrase "Karma is a bitch" suddenly carried whole new meaning.

"You think you can control me with such superstitious nonsense?" Dan roared, furious. "I have completely dominated the Ghost Zone and defeated all who dared stand against me." His glowing red gaze shifted to Valerie. "With one exception soon to be rectified once she serves her purpose. I _will_ defeat you." A ball of ectoplasm appeared in his palm as he leapt towards Karma, ready to strike.

The ghostly woman only crossed her arms and waited. Valerie's heart beat quickly with fear for her safety, but just before his attack made contact with her chest, a pearlescent wall appeared between his fist and her body.

"That was the wrong choice." She spoke ominously as the barrier cracked and then shattered into a million fragments. Phantom spat blood before he was launched backwards into the wall once more. The marks covering his shoulders glowed red again and crept further down onto his arms.

Valerie could only stare wide-eyed in disbelief.

Clockwork cut in, impatient. "Are you quite done, Karma? I would like to start on repairs and also get Valerie back to her own room so she may rest."

"Yes, I believe so. It is unlikely that Dan Phantom will be causing any more trouble in the near future, and young Valerie needs all the rest she can get. Neither of them are fit to face Pariah at this point."

Frostbite carefully helped Valerie up off the bed. The woman, for all of her disbelief at Clockwork and the new ghost, was exhausted. The white beast noticed her weariness and picked her up, then started walking towards the door.

The Master of Time agreed, still impatient, "Yes, they clearly both need time to heal and reconcile any differences that exist between them."

A purple glow surrounded the Ravager of Worlds, who now hardly looked like he deserved the title.

It was Karma's next response that haunted Valerie right to her core.

"No, I mean they are not strong enough to defeat Pariah Dark even at full power. If they were to ally together and face their foe as they are now, they would both perish."

* * *

**There it is! I hope you all enjoyed Karma, she'll be sticking around for a little while to help Dan and Val get along.**

**Leave a comment if you'd like, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	5. Diamond Hard- Karma

**Here's the next chapter for Hell Follows me! A big thank you once again to Lightning Streak for editing as well as everyone who has reviewed, fav'd and followed this story!**

**On another note, if you're looking for a fluffier Dark Gray story I have also started another titled "A Ghost in the Machine" so feel free to check that one out too! The second chapter should be up soon!**

* * *

 The next several days passed in a series of sleep, wake up, eat, repeat.

Karma was true to her word that Phantom wouldn't bother Valerie even once in her dreams or in person. In fact, this was the most Valerie had been able to relax within recent memory. Even before when she had been living in the Shield, there had always been a constant threat and anxiety that at any moment, Dan would attack and destroy what little peace existed.

Speaking of life back under the Shield, Valerie had confronted Clockwork about the safety of Amity Park. The Master of Time had explained that only a fraction of the time that she had spent here had passed in the human realm.

"At this moment, your father is starting to organize a search party for you because you have not been answering his calls," Clockwork spoke in his quiet, monotonous voice.

The young woman breathed a small sigh of relief before launching into her next question. "And what about Pariah Dark? What is he doing right now?"

"When you and Dan disappeared from the physical realm, he returned to the Ghost Zone to search for you both, assuming that was where you fled for safety." A small smirk curved his mouth. "While he is correct, my palace is far beyond his reach."

"I think you're saying that to make me feel better, but really it just makes me feel cornered and like we will have nowhere else to go if he does get here," Valerie admitted, glaring unimpressed at the blue ghost.

The Master of Time softened his gaze slightly and readjusted the grip on his staff. "You can rest assured knowing that there is no future where Pariah Dark finds you here. On that, you have my word."

Sighing heavily, the young woman leaned back into the pillows, wincing when the action pulled her ribs. They were slowly improving, but Valerie had to be careful not to over stretch any of her muscles. She had been lucky enough to never hurt her ribs before. This time had been the exception since he had caught her off guard.

"Alright, so when can I get out of this bed and get back to my usual routine? That…" the young woman gestured wildly in the direction she assumed the female ghost to be in, " _Karma_ said that Pariah would kill me if I tried to fight him now. So sitting around not doing anything is definitely not helping that situation."

"I'm afraid that Frostbite would be the better judge as for when you would be able to return to your physical activities."

Valerie huffed with irritation, "Well that's just great, considering he's not here right now."

"He is the leader of the Far Frozen realm. It was necessary for him to return regarding important business regarding his clan. Having him here as a permanent addition was never going to be a possibility."

"And what about my suit?"

The Time Master noted the unusually sharp snap to her tone. "He has taken it with him to see if any of his people can do some repairs on it to get it back into working order."

"I doubt it, but who knows. Maybe? Couldn't you just get it to the Resistance and to Paulina? She'd really be the one able to fix it."

"It was Frostbite who insisted that he wanted to have his people to repair it. As a sign of good faith toward his stake in this fight," Clockwork answered, raising an eyebrow in response to her snappish tone. Obviously, there was something else that was bothering the Red Huntress, but the best way to find out remained elusive.

"Well I suppose he _means_ well, but I would still rather have had it sent back home," Valerie frowned, confused. Why was she so _angry_? Clockwork hadn't _really_ done anything wrong, and Frostbite had been nothing but helpful and supportive. So what was the issue? Not even Dan had been bothering her lately, so what could it be— _Oh. Oh no. Oh no no no. This is not good._

"Clockwork, I need to you find Jazz like, _right now_. I'm about to have a serious problem."

The ghost in question furrowed his brow, but nonetheless he did as Valerie requested and created a blue portal before winking out of existence.

* * *

 (Dan)

_It burns, everything burns._

Dan lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling as his upper body seared from the marks that bitch Karma had branded him with.

Pride and stubbornness had him refusing the cold compresses that lay untouched on the table beside him. He was unable to apply them himself. His shoulders hurt too much to move more than a little. And Dan Phantom was not about to _ask_ for _help_ like a _child_.

The very thought disgusted him.

Glancing out the corner of his eye revealed that the ghost Karma was still sitting cross-legged in a chair occupied with giving herself a manicure.

The flame haired ghost sneered to himself and winced when it pulled on an abused muscle in his neck affected by the tattoo collar around his throat. The markings had only appeared down to his shoulders in the beginning when she had first cursed him. But now, as a result of him trying to attack her, they extended to his wrists like sleeves and down his chest and back in a similar fashion.

He felt defiled, tainted, like he'd been marked in the same way as a criminal. His once flawless skin was now riddled with scars that he feared would never disappear.

Rage boiling hot in his veins, Dan wished there was something he could take his frustrations out on. He directed another quick glance over to the other being inhabiting the room but immediately dashed the idea. Attacking her would only cause the tattoos to advance further, and although he would never admit it, her claim that they would kill him chilled his spine. Something in her tone had said that she was telling the absolute truth.

If only Valerie were here.

A dark smirk began to split his face.

She always made things more interesting. Truly, she was the only reason he kept coming back to Amity Park. She was like the cockroach that just wouldn't _die,_ and Dan just couldn't help but rise to the challenge of being the one to finally finish the deed.

The smirk widened.

And now of all times, her resilience was proving to be most advantageous for him. Whenever she was present, the heat of her spirit seemed to soothe his erratic power core, calming it and making it run more smoothly. His injuries healed better and faster when she was near him.

Unfortunately, that bonus seemed to only apply when she too was healthy and breathing. The moment Valerie was suddenly dying as he strangled her, his own body no longer reaped the benefit of her warmth.

"Are you thinking of Valerie?" the deep voice of Karma interrupted his thoughts, and the grin slipped from his features to be replaced by a deep scowl.

"That's none of your damn business."

"I will take that as a 'yes,'" She mocked him, and he snarled viciously. "You always get defensive whenever she is the subject in question."

"That is not true," Dan denied vehemently and sat up on one elbow, ignoring the agony it caused to his injured shoulders to glare heatedly at the female ghost.

A small smile turned the corners of her mouth upward. "I rest my case."

The green skinned male snarled, revealing his sharp canines. His eyes began to glow. "Don't think that you know me."

"Oh, but I do, Dan." She stood to her full height and looked down on him. Growling, he too got up but found, much to his displeasure, that she was taller than him. "I know you from your cruelty, your violence, and all the pain you've caused not only to young Valerie, but all those who perished in your rise to power."

Roaring with hatred Dan launched himself at her, fists alight with ectoplasm.

With ease she deflected each of his attacks, batting his fists away like a cat with a ball of string. "You claim that you are all powerful, but I only see a child begging for attention, taking out his destructive tendencies on anything he can get his hands on so that people will notice him. Hurting the girl he likes because he doesn't know any other way to show affection."

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up!_ " he cried, her words burning him just as his new markings.

"Yet even now you refuse to face the truth, Danny Fenton." He stopped dead in his tracks as the pain from his tattoos expanding became too much. Slumping to one knee, they burned red hot down to his abdomen and the small of his back. "You're lonely."

It was a significant amount of time until he found the strength to move. Karma left sometime during that unknown span to give him some much coveted solitude.

* * *

  _Dan sneered at his arms. Even in the astral plane, he could not escape his shame. The tattoos plagued him no matter where he went. That Karma, she would most certainly pay for what she had done to him, bringing this pain and making him feel… He clenched a fist, and with another angry bellow, he destroyed a stone pillar._

_His clothes formed around his chest, cape billowing in a non-existent wind. Scowling, Dan turned and instead made his way towards a blaze of warmth in the otherwise frigid wasteland._

_His surroundings changed to the familiar room where, as usual, Valerie lay sleeping._

_She was alone, Frostbite no where to be seen and Clockwork obviously busy tending to the time stream. An unfamiliar presence hovered in the corner of his mind, tingling like an uncatchable itch. A quick glance around the room revealed nothing, however, so he ignored it. The signature was so small and weak; it wouldn't pose any problem to him even if it tried._

_It was strange. He didn't feel the usual urge to climb into bed with Valerie and wait until she woke to see the fear and confusion on her face. Nothing made her squirm more than when he would treat her as desirable. The fear that paralyzed her and made her gaze at him with wide scared eyes never failed to excite him._

_A smirk stretched his face._

_Floating up to the edge, Dan put his face as close to Valerie's as he could._

" _Hello, Valerie," the ghost murmured and then watched raptly as her teal eyes popped open with fear. Instinctively, she lashed out with a fist, which he easily caught and then pinned to the bed above her head._

" _Can't you just leave me alone?!" she cried as the young woman began to thrash in hopes of hitting any part of his body._

_He blocked and evaded her limbs but soon enough was forced to release her wrist to prevent from being beaten. As he floated away, the Red Huntress took a more defensive position. She set her feet firmly on the floor. Her eyes chilled into two ice crystals._

" _I see you're fully clothed this time, finally. So what do you want this time, Phantom?" the young woman demanded as she pushed her scarf wrapped hair over her shoulder out of her way. He took the opportunity to notice that she had also acquired an over-large t-shit to sleep in. What a shame._

" _Do I have to have a reason to visit you? Perhaps I just enjoy your company." The sarcasm dripped from every word he spoke, and Dan watched in delight as she scowled darkly at him. She was always so beautiful when she was angry, and boy, did he enjoy making her angry._

**You're lonely…**

_Karma's words echoed in his head, and the grin dropped from his face almost instantly._

_Turning his head to the side, he lifted a lip in a snarl. Floating down to the floor, he stood flat-footed and with disgust, regarded his arch enemy. That woman Karma was ruining everything, even when she wasn't present. How dare she presume to know the darkest secrets of his mind—the gnawing desires that even to himself he denied?_

_Valerie gazed back at him, slightly confused but not dropping her stance. "What's that look for? I haven't done anything to you." Her tone was biting, and with the way she phrased it, Dan couldn't help the leer that once again stretched wide across his face._

" _And that, my dear, is exactly the problem." Eyebrows waggling, all sorts of dirty thoughts began to fly through his mind. Valerie lying on her back gasping, legs wrapped around his waist. Her nails digging into his back with rapture as his hand tightly gripped her hips, grinding into her in an easy rhythm._

_Without realizing, his breathing deepened, and a low growl released itself from his throat._

" _Phantom, what are you—?" Valerie didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Dan closed the distance between them. She lashed out at him, but he easily caught her wrists and pinned them to her sides as he hungrily captured her mouth with his._

_He could feel her resistance immediately, but in her desperation to escape she stepped backwards and fell onto the bed directly behind her. Not hesitating in the slightest, Dan climbed on top of her, pinning her legs to the bed._

_Breaking the kiss, he lowered to her neck where his fangs lightly grazed over the scars from the last time he had bitten her. A shudder had developed in her body, causing her to visibly tremble beneath him as she began to attempt to wrench herself from his iron grip._

" _Phantom, stop! What are you doing?! Why—?" The fear was completely evident in her shaking voice, which only excited him more as he bit down on her neck again. This time wasn't hard enough to draw blood, but his extended sharp canines left indents on her skin as he ran his snake tongue over her throat._

_His tattoos burned slightly as they extended a small amount over his back. Hissing with pain, he tightened his grip on her wrists which only further intensified the expansion of the marks. Eyes glowing, he glanced back up to her teal ones to see them wide with confusion and fear. Her chest was heaving with panicked gasps._

_**You're lonely…** _

_Karma's words echoed once more in his head as he stared down at Valerie._

_Horror suddenly dawned on his face as he realized what he was doing. Lowering himself to base desires like an animal. Proving that infernal woman right!_

_Bellowing with rage, he flew backwards off the young woman and in a fit of rage punched a hole into the wall behind him. Breathing hard, Dan tried to calm the emotions broiling wildly within him._

_Damn that Karma, making him feel emotions! He'd never had this kind of trouble before, not before he'd surpassed his human limitations. Not wanting to feel these emotions anymore was the whole reason he had separated Phantom from Fenton in the first place! How dare she bring back this pain?!_

" _What the hell was that?!" cried Valerie, but Dan refused to turn around and face her directly._

" _It was nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." And with that final piece of denial, he dissolved the scene and returned back to his own body._

* * *

 (Valerie)

Valerie woke with a start, breathing hard and sweat chilling the sheets wrapped tightly around her form. The scene of what had just happened was still fresh in her mind and replaying itself over and over again.

Dan had _kissed_ her.

Held her down and _kissed_ her.

A small knot in her stomach told her it would have gone much further had he not stopped of his own accord. Swallowing thickly, the young woman did her best to untangle herself from the bind she had placed herself in.

It was at that moment Jazz appeared, arms full of all sorts of lady products. "Uh Valerie, do you want help?"

"That would be fantastic." She relented, relieved that she wouldn't have to completely ruin any healing progress that had been made with her ribs. Frostbite would kill her if that happened.

With a few well-placed tugs, the sheets came free without too much stress, and Valerie was able to escape her confines with relative ease. "Thanks for the help, I'm not sure I would have gotten out of that if you hadn't been here, Jazz." There was a slight tremble to her fingers as she began to unwind the scarf from around her hair. She could still feel Dan's cold fingers wrapped around her wrists, pinning her down.

A chill ran down her spine and with renewed determination, the young woman straightened her back. Grabbing her black leggings that had finally been returned to her off the chair beside the bed, Valerie quickly pulled them on. After that, she determinedly made her way towards the door.

Jazz watched in confusion as her charge stormed away and threw open the door to reveal none other than Clockwork himself. Gasping in surprise, the human female berated the Time Ghost, "Fucking hell, stop _doing that_!"

"My apologies, but I thought it would be best if you did not get lost on your way to confront Dan." He replied monotonously, but Valerie was beginning to pick up on his subtle mannerisms and was cynical about the sincerity of his assurance.

"How did—?" she began to ask, only to cut herself off mid sentence when she remembered his favorite catch phrase was 'I know everything'. "Never mind, and yes. Knowing the way would make things _much_ easier."

The ghost said nothing as he smiled knowingly and gestured for the Red Huntress to follow him.

Valerie tried to use the time to figure out what she was going to say once she saw him. Her skin still tingled from his touch, but not pleasantly. It felt like something was irritating it, and it caused her to lose focus as they travelled.

All too soon, they arrived at the double doors, and the Huntress still didn't know what she was going to say.

Without knocking, Clockwork opened the doors just in time to reveal Dan sitting on the bed, head in his hands and Karma sitting gracefully in a chair. The red ghost turned to greet them while the male entity drew himself up to his full height and stared with mild disgust and revulsion at Valerie. With his full suit on, she noticed that the tattoos on his body were completely covered.

Fury and resentment boiled hot, and it didn't matter anymore that she hadn't planned anything to say because in that moment everything else faded away until only she and Phantom remained.

"What. The _hell_. Was that?" Valerie seethed between clenched teeth as her hands fisted at her sides.

Dan sneered and avoided her accusing gaze, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play coy with me. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" she marched determinedly into the room until she stood directly in front of her arch enemy.

"I don't answer to you; I don't owe you anything." He pushed past her and started to make his way towards the still open door.

Out of the corner of her eye, the Ghost Slayer saw Karma stand and usher Clockwork away from the doors before they closed behind her of their own accord. Valerie continued, "You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me. You owe me an explanation of what the hell just happened. Why did you kiss me?" The words slipped past her lips before she could stop them, and a sick feeling settled in her stomach. A part of her wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He turned his head to leer over his shoulder at her, "It must have been a dream."

"Any dream that involves you is a nightmare," she hissed at him, and he chuckled deeply once again turning to face her, a sadistic grin plastered across his features.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." He stood a bit straighter, regaining his usual arrogance and pride.

Valerie assumed a more solid stance in preparation for the attack that was likely on its way. "You're sick, but I know the difference between your new power and when I'm really asleep. There's no pain from my ribs when you're in my mind, but when I'm actually dreaming, I always have trouble breathing. There was no pain when you kissed me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't pull that shit with me now!" she exclaimed, temper finally getting the best of her. "You and I both know damn well that you're lying!"

Red eyes glowed bright as he too lost what little restraint remained on his rage. "You dare demand anything from _me_?"

"Yes, I do! You wanna know why, Phantom?"

"By all means, _enlighten me_."

"Because I saved your afterlife, _twice_!" she retorted hotly, and she watched as his eyebrows lowered dangerously and a lip lifted to reveal a fang. "The only reason you're standing there right now is because of me!"

"So what? Do you want a medal? A heartfelt thank you? Because you're a fool if you expect you'll get either of those from me," Dan sneered, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at her.

"What I want is an explanation, and I'm not leaving here until I get one!" She mimicked his pose, standing as straight as her protesting ribs would allow.

"Then you may as well make yourself comfortable because that isn't going to happen." And with that he winked out of sight, disappearing completely.

Valerie stood for a beat of silence before she realized what he'd done. " _Phantom don't you run away from this, get your ectoplasmic ass back here!_ " she yelled into the now empty room.

This outburst prompted Clockwork to push the door open and glance around in confusion.

"I assume that Dan has disappeared?" the Time Master asked apprehensively as his elderly form floated into the room.

"That-that— _Child_!" the Huntress raged as she turned and kicked the side of the mattress. "He's supposedly twenty-three but you'd never know it!" Anger not fully spent, Valerie started pacing furiously back and forth.

Clockwork could only look on in mild amusement. Valerie's fiery temper was what made her one of his favorite people to watch. She inspired respect and fear in equal measures from not only her own race, but his as well. There was no doubt in his mind that she would win the fight against Pariah Dark.

He sighed softly as Valerie continued pace vigorously. The problem was Dan. Everything truly depended on Karma and whether or not she would be able to help temper the unruly ghost.

Speaking of Karma, she had disappeared to follow Phantom when he had left the vicinity. He wasn't sure where they had gone to, but without his aid, Dan wouldn't be able to leave his castle. That didn't mean, however, that there wasn't lots of mischief that he could get into within the walls.

* * *

 (Dan)

He had to get out of there. If he had stayed for even a moment longer, he would have attacked that infernal woman. How dare she claim to own his life? He belonged to no one, he was his own being, nothing else controlled him. Nothing ever would.

Floating aimlessly down the various hallways, Dan explored the labyrinth with mild curiosity. His thoughts wandered on their own but always came back to one: _You're lonely_.

Snarling, he growled deep in his throat. She was wrong. He was not lonely. The presence of others irritated him. Most of them were reminders of his past life when he had been a weak _human_.

A small, barely noticeable ghost signature flickered into his awareness.

Snapping his head in the direction of it, Dan went to investigate.

The signature fled in the opposite direction, obviously sensing him approaching. Curiosity setting in more firmly, he was determined to find out just who or what this was.

Mentally, he started checking off all the ghosts he knew were present. It wasn't Clockwork. Dan could feel his signature from the other end of the castle. It wasn't Karma. She, like Clockwork, was too powerful. And he knew Frostbite's signature like the back of his hand, so it couldn't be the leader of the Far Frozen. The mystery only piqued his interest that much more.

The unknown signature continued to lead him in an increasingly complex chase. Finally growing frustrated, he launched a plasma ball into the wall ahead, forcing the mystery ghost to stop.

"There's no use hiding. I know you're there. Show yourself!" he demanded. There was a nervous waver to the signature and a moment more of hesitation before the ghost slowly materialized.

Dan's face dropped into horror. It—it couldn't be! No, it wasn't possible, it was a lie. Another weak ghost assuming this form to put him off balance!

The ghost stared up at him with fearful icy, blue eyes, orange hair pulled back behind a matching blue headband. When the ghost spoke, Dan could no longer delude himself with denial.

"Hi, Danny," Jazz Fenton greeted the male ghost nervously.

* * *

**Le gasp! Jazz is revealed! How will Dan react?**

**I hope you all enjoyed the small trip into Dan's extremely messed up psyche!**

**Thanks for reading, leave me with a review with your thoughts, if you'd like! I'd love to hear them!**


	6. Issues- New Perceptions

**Alright here's the next chapter for Hell Follows Me! I'm thinking I might change the title but I'm not sure yet. The fateful interaction between Dan and Jazz is here so I hope you all like it. I also hope that the story doesn't feel like it's progressing too quickly.**

**Once again Lightning Streak has edited the chapter for me because she's awesome!**

* * *

 (Dan)

Dan could only stare in horror, his mind nothing but an indecipherable hurricane.

His old sister, someone he long thought dead and gone, was now floating in front of him. She stared at him with frightened red eyes as she nervously grasped herself with both arms wrapped around her middle. She was scared of him, but despite the fact that this should be expected, it made a part of his dead, black heart ache.

"You." Phantom's eyebrows drew downwards sharply as he gazed upon the ghost of Jazz Fenton. Anger gradually began to replace his confusion. "How long have you been a ghost?" he demanded as he dropped to the floor and approached the ghost of his sister.

She took a step backwards in an attempt to maintain a reasonable distance between them. Snarling, Dan stopped but continued to glare heatedly at her.

Jazz hesitated, swallowing heavily and glancing around for any possible way out. Finding none, she faced the terrifying visage of the being that had once been her younger brother. This was her chance to try and talk Danny around—the Danny she knew that was still beneath the surface of the monster.

"Since the Nasty Burger," she answered quietly and stood a little straighter.

The male ghost's eyes widened as his snarl widened to include his bottom fangs. His eyes glowed crimson with rage. "The whole time. You've been a ghost the _whole_ time?!" Dan growled darkly and took another step towards his ghostly sister. "Why is this the first time I'm seeing you?"

His demand hung in the air like a thinly veiled threat. If she gave him the wrong answer, there would be blood. Tattoos and that Karma be damned; he would have retribution.

Jazz swallowed thickly and once again glanced around for help that was not present, "Well, it's a little complicated. I wanted to talk to you from the beginning, Danny, please believe me when I say that." Dan said nothing in response and only crossed his arms over his chest and impatiently waited for her to continue. "It was Clockwork who—"

" _Clockwork!"_ Phantom seethed. His rage exploded completely as his vision faded into only different shades of red. A ghostly fire surrounded his form, _"I should have_ _ **known**_ _he would be behind this!"_

Grabbing her arm, the male ghost immediately flew off with her in tow. The Master of Time had some explaining to do, and Dan would be damned before he let him get away without it.

* * *

 Clockwork sighed heavily when he felt the explosion of ghostly energy in his castle. It would seem this turn of events had come to pass after all. He had hoped that Jazz would remain anonymous for a little while longer until Dan had stabilized enough to handle it.

"Valerie," Clockwork said, "I'm afraid something has come up. I must go. Would you like me to take you back to your own room?"

Valerie stopped her restless pacing only to sit heavily on the bed, "No, Dan owes me an explanation, and I'm not leaving until I get one." The young woman crossed her arms and legs and seemed to settle herself into waiting for the male ghost to come back.

"Very well. When Frostbite returns, I shall send him to find you," the Time Master confirmed before opening a blue portal out of the room and into the hallway where Phantom was demanding his presence.

Truly, he was a terrifying sight to behold. Wreathed in white flames and eyes glowing red as he threw the ghost of his sister to the floor in front of Clockwork.

The blue ghost was unafraid and becoming irritated at the young man's actions. "You dare treat your sister with such disrespect, Dan Phantom?" he intoned lowly as his elderly form faded to reveal a young man, matching the youth of the incensed ghost before him.

"I didn't even know I had a sister anymore until just now. Then I hear that _you_ knew about it all along! Why is this the first I'm hearing about this? How dare you keep this a secret from me!" the Ravager of Worlds shouted, voice cracking mid-sentence as Jazz picked herself up off the floor.

Clockwork reached down to offer her a hand, which she took gratefully.

"I kept it a secret because you were not ready to hear it." His response was calm, but there was a threatening undertone to his words. Once the young woman was back on her feet, Clockwork pushed her behind him and set his staff on the ground. The sound echoed eerily through the hallway. "Now you will listen to me, Dan Phantom. This is my home, and while you are a guest here, you will respect others." He pointed his staff towards the still-glowing ghost. "The next time you assault anyone, you will be dealing with me, and you will find I am not so merciful as Karma."

"Mercy? What do you know of _mercy,_ Clockwork?" Dan snarled and directed his gaze down to the young teenage ghost cowering behind her blue protector. Seeing her frightened face, her face of all people, staring wide-eyed at him caused something to fracture.

Jazz was always the one person who was never afraid of him. The one person whose gaze never changed no matter if he was ghost or human. Until now.

"What does it matter anyway? Because of Karma, I am nothing but a slave to the consequences of my actions." The glow around Dan faded, but his eyes continued to gleam like two rubies. The red light reflected off Jazz's frightened face, creating harsh shadows and making her green skin look even more sickly than before.

His breathing hitched in his chest and with a snarl, Dan addressed the ghost of his former sister one last time. "Stay away from me." His words were a hiss just before he dematerialized and disappeared from that plane of existence.

* * *

 (Valerie)

Valerie sat on the bed, angry and impatient for Phantom to return. If he were going to be stubborn about this, then she was going to be stubborn. If nothing else, she deserved to know what the hell that kiss had been about.

A sinking part of her stomach, however, wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Her shoulders slumped a little from the rigid position they had been stuck in.

All these years of harmless flirting _had_ been just that, right? Harmless flirting? He was male; it didn't surprise Valerie that he had some sort of a libido. It was only normal that there would be some sort of sexual need present. Although she didn't exactly know if it was different for ghosts than it was for humans? But considering that Dan had once been human, it was likely that he had gone through puberty similarly to any human boy?

 _This is getting ridiculous, and I'm getting distracted_. _Debating if_ _ **Phantom**_ _went through puberty or not isn't getting me anywhere._

Her lips tingled with the remnants of his mouth on hers. It was like the cooling sensation of peppermint, and Valerie wiped harshly to try and remove the feeling. The unpleasant tingling only reminded her that he had violated her.

"Valerie," A ghostly female voice echoed from the room. The young woman turned to see none other than the dark blue form of Karma striding gracefully towards her. "I need to speak with you."

The Huntress narrowed her eyes, suspicious of this mysterious—and so far unaligned—ghost. "I suppose; do I really have a choice?"

"You always have a choice, Valerie. It is the outcome of that choice that may lead to undesirable results. For instance, you may choose to rebuff me and storm angrily from the room. I would not stop you, but I would also choose not to help you in the future when you may be in need of my assistance." The tall ghost stopped a reasonable distance away from the Ghost Slayer and crossed both arms over her chest. "Or perhaps you would choose to attack me in which case I would defend myself, and then you would be no better than the one you call The Ravager of Worlds."

At the mention of stooping to the level of Phantom, Valerie clenched her fists and stood. Back straight and chin held high, she stared up at the iris-less, red gaze. Karma returned it unblinkingly and just as determinedly.

"Don't you dare put me on the same level as that monster," Valerie hissed threateningly.

Karma merely lifted an eyebrow in response. "But are you not? You threaten him just as he threatens you. You hit him just as hard as he hits you. You earned your name slaughtering ghosts, just as he did slaughtering humans. What is the difference between Valerie Gray and Dan Phantom?"

The young woman could only gape wordlessly. The harsh truth the red ghost spoke cut her deeply. To be compared so bluntly to someone she had always thought filled with nothing but malevolence and malice horrified her.

"How can you say anything like that? I am nothing like him! I fight to protect the people of Amity Park, protect the things that matter most to me!"

"And what would you do if all of that suddenly disappeared? If in a single instance, everything you loved was destroyed and you were left all alone in the world?" There was a beat of silence where Karma allowed her to respond, but Valerie didn't have any words. "Tell me, who would you blame? What would you do with the rage that would boil in your veins?"

Valerie had to sit down with the realization of just exactly what the female ghost meant. Karma was implying that Phantom was a _victim_ and not the _perpetrator_. The young woman put her head in her hands. This wasn't happening. Her whole world was being turned upside down and inside out. Everything she thought she'd known was now being questioned.

"Tell me, Valerie, what do you know of Dan Phantom?" The indigo-colored woman took a seat beside her on the bed and made herself comfortable.

It was another few moments before the Huntress could form the words she thought would be the correct answer. "He used to be Danny Fenton before his family died and lived a dual life of Danny Phantom, the town ghost who would defend the city from other ghost threats." She took a shaky breath. "I thought he was the bad guy and chased him around trying to kill him. It wasn't until after he moved away and then came back as Dan that I realized I'd been wrong. I should have been helping him, not hunting him."

Karma sighed deeply and crossed her legs, "That was excellent information about _Danny,_ but I asked specifically about _Dan_."

Valerie was stumped. Hadn't that information been what the ghost had been looking for? "Well, he is responsible for every horrible thing that has happened to me, to everyone that still lives! He is responsible for the deaths of everyone and everything on this planet!" The young woman stood and faced the seated ghost, fire in her teal eyes.

"I see." Karma tilted her head to the side, shifting the waves of red hair cascading over her shoulders in a state of constant movement akin to a river. "And what if I told you, Valerie Gray, that Dan was not a cause but rather an effect of certain circumstances?" Karma stood from the bed and moved beside the human woman to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Do not delude yourself into thinking you are the only party who has suffered. Dan, as you know him, is a result of all the pain and suffering he endured while he was human. Underneath his tough exterior, he is still nothing but a boy who is scared and confused of the changes that occurred abruptly and unexpectedly."

"Then why is he like this? What caused him to change so much?"

The blue ghost smiled gently, "Now you are asking the right questions." She continued to walk towards the door as white mist began to envelop her body. "I believe the name Plasmius might ring a bell." And with those final words, she disappeared completely, leaving Valerie to ponder the new realities she was faced with.

* * *

 (Dan)

Materializing into the nearest empty room Dan could find, he crashed to the floor, landing hard on his knees. Jazz was alive. She had come back as a ghost, and Clockwork had hidden her from him!

Crying out with rage and betrayal, the ghost slammed both fists down onto the marble flooring. The stone shattered around his hands, creating two craters underneath him. He remained in that position staring at the floor, prostrated and vulnerable. But Dan couldn't get himself to care.

The only thing on his mind right now was the realization that he was not alone. He had never been alone, and that had been kept from him! Clockwork had robbed him of his one chance to have a true ally, someone who would gaze upon him and not see the Ravager of Worlds but _him_. Now it was too late. His old sister only saw him through his legacy. The old days were long gone, and they would never return.

The tightness in his chest contracted and breathing became difficult. Whatever oxygen he did manage to coax into his system was in broken and uneven shuddering gasps. Curling in on himself, Dan attempted to alleviate the pain, and to some extent it worked. But it wasn't until a cool wetness coated his cheeks that he realized just exactly what was happening.

Was he… was he _crying?_

Breathing continued to become increasingly difficult as he began to hyperventilate in order to avoid sobbing. He would not sob. He was _not_ weak. He was _not crying._

Dan wasn't sure how long he stayed like that. It could have been minutes; it could have been hours. Not that it really mattered anyways. Time was irrelevant there.

A ghost signature suddenly winked into existence within the room, and Phantom recognized it immediately. "Are you here to gloat? To tell me how I deserved this? How this is just _karma?"_

"Despite what you may think of me, I gain no enjoyment from your suffering." Two blue, bare feet appeared in front of him.

Dan laughed bitterly, "And here I thought the one that would enjoy it the most, would be you. Because of all the suffering I've caused, isn't it just fitting that I'm suffering now?" Another strangled breath wheezed its way out of his throat as he continued to curl in on himself. He didn't care how vulnerable it made him. Anything to hide this moment of weakness.

A hand appeared on his back, and Phantom flinched, expecting a violent action, but when the thumb started to rub comforting circles, he couldn't help but relax into the action. It was the first time in recent memory where he had been touched without the intent to harm.

"You mistake me for Irony. She is enjoying herself immensely I am sure," Karma spoke softly as she continued to stroke his back in a soothing motion. The male ghost tried to resist, but nonetheless found himself leaning into the touch. "Have I told you the reason why your tattoos were as minimal as they were?"

She would dare bring up something like that _now?_ Dan didn't trust his voice not to betray him but he did finally find the strength to break from her touch and stand to his feet. Anger slowly started to trickle back into his system. It strengthened his limbs and straightened his spine. Meeting her calm and pitying gaze did nothing to halt the rapidly increasing storm of emotions.

"I don't want your pity, or your sympathy, and I don't give a single fuck as to why the marks you _branded_ me with used to be smaller!" the male ghost spat venomously to the woman kneeling gracefully on the floor.

She sighed and stood so she would be eye-to-eye with him. "Your tattoos were so minimal to begin with because it was your sister paying for your actions." Dan was taken aback and there was a beat of silence before she continued, "When you first came into existence as you are now, Jazz met with some rather _unpleasant_ circumstances." She rose to her full height that still bothered him that she was taller than he was.

Phantom's eyebrows scrunched. "What happened?" he demanded and took a step towards Karma, who did nothing. She only stood there, arms at her sides and seemingly defenseless. He knew better though. If he were to attack, he would most assuredly lose.

She shook her head, "That is not my story to tell, but it was afterwards when she was in Clockwork's safe custody that she continuously begged him to help. It was shortly after that he introduced her to me."

In an instant, Dan saw red as his rage overflowed as he gripped the front of her top. His eyes glowed so brightly, he could see the light reflecting off her indigo skin. "What did you do to my sister?" he hissed threateningly.

Karma quirked a brow, "You care." A small smile graced her lips, and the snarl dropped immediately from Phantom's face as he backed away instantly, shock written clearly all over his face. The ghostly woman continued to smile proudly at him like he was some child who had just made a new friend.

"I care about her like I care about conquest, to make everything my own." Dan didn't believe it was a lie until it crossed his lips and he heard himself say it. The sinking pit in his stomach told him not even he believed that statement, which only made the pit sink further downwards. He was The Ravager of Worlds, Dan Phantom the Undefeated. He was not supposed to care about anything or anyone but himself and his goal.

Karma's gentle smile turned lopsided into an amused smirk. "I can tell that not even you believe that statement." The snarl returned to his lip, revealing a fang. This woman was too keen for his liking, "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Dan. If anything, it is the opposite, and I am proud of you for it."

Proud of him.

She was… proud of him.

Proud of him? The phrase seemed unfitting when applied to him.

Coming back to his senses, Phantom sneered at Karma. So what if she was proud of him? He was no child needing praise for every little thing that he completed! He did not need validation for his actions! Who did she think she was? Treating him like an infant!

"Don't patronize me! I'm not a babe needing to be coddled and swaddled!" The fiery haired ghost drew himself up to his full height and hovered an extra few inches off the ground. Now he was able to look down on the other ghost that only continued to smile gently, which incensed him further.

Taking a deep breath to continue his tirade, Karma interrupted him. "But are you not, Dan? Are you not but a misguided child? One who has been neglected during the most important parts of his life?" She took a few steps towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can deny it all you like, but you will never escape the truth that you miss your family. At the center of your core, you are lonely."

He continued to snarl at her, but now it was only out of habit. The anger was no longer truly present. Much to his distaste it, was beginning to be replaced with fear. He didn't like how well she seemed to know him. Not even Valerie knew this much and she was the one who knew the most. Or so he thought.

"And if you want to know what happened to Jazz, that's something you should be asking her. It is not my story to tell."

* * *

 (Valerie)

After her encounter with Karma, Valerie retreated back to the baths Jazz had shown her yesterday. She felt filthy from Phantom's strange actions earlier and wanted to try and scrub away as much of it as possible. The scalding water helped to alleviate the persistent cooling sensation left behind from his touch.

Her ribs were protesting her vigorous scrubbing, but the Huntress took little heed. The conversation with the female ghost weighed heavily on her mind, especially her parting statement.

_I believe the name Plasmius might ring a bell._

Plasmius had been another ghost that had haunted Amity Park alongside the old Danny Phantom. Except looking back now, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Dracula-esque ghost since Phantom started to show up almost ten years ago.

Valerie stopped washing and sank into the warm water, staring blankly at the edge of the bath. She had forgotten about him completely when Dan Phantom had first made his appearance. The threat Phantom had presented had pushed everything else out of the picture almost immediately, and any other ghost threats that disappeared, she assumed he killed.

She set the loofa on the edge of the water and sat on the small ledge while she processed this new information. If what Karma was insinuating was true, then Plasmius was still alive and knew something about Dan's corruption.

"Now, isn't this a familiar scene?" a baritone voice rumbled from the other edge of the water.

Valerie whipped around to see none other than Dan leaning against the central waterfall, which was built up to appear like a mountain with hot water streaming out the top. His arms were crossed and, much to her surprise, completely covered in more of the Karmic tattoos.

Sinking into the water and covering herself as much as she could, the young woman kept a wary eye on the male ghost. Memories of the last time they were in this room together started to come to the forefront of her mind. Over the next several moments, he made no effort to approach her, which was a clear difference from the first time.

"What are you doing here, Phantom?" the young woman asked stiffly.

Dan scoffed and directed his gaze off to the side, into the steamy room, "Sometimes, you can be so dense, Valerie." He glanced lazily back at her. "I'm here to bathe, what else?"

"That seems very… human of you." The suspicion was clear in her tone, and the male ghost did not take well to it,

"As I have a physical form, it only goes to assume that I would need to clean it regularly."

The Huntress blushed with embarrassment but hoped to blame it on the hot temperature of the water if he commented. "I guess that makes sense…" she mumbled the last part to herself but had a funny feeling he heard anyways. She wasn't sure how she felt about the thought of Phantom regularly showering. "Since you're here, care to tell me why you kissed me?"

Dan snarled and avoided eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on, not this shit again!"

"Why are you so obsessed with the idea that I kissed you?"

"Because it happened, and I want to know what it meant! Why are you so persistent that it didn't?" Valerie raged, splashing water into the air in her fury. When he said nothing in return and a minute of silence passed between them, the young woman turned away from the ghost. "Alright, whatever, I give up. If you don't want to tell me _fine,_ be a child."

There were another few minutes of silence where Valerie ignored him as best she could while also making sure he wasn't sneaking up on her. Needless to say it was very difficult. It wasn't much later that the silence was becoming too heavy, but surprisingly he beat her to the punch.

"How long have you known about Jazz?" his voice was tense and the question terse.

A lead weight sunk into her stomach. "You know about her?"

Phantom scoffed, "So you knew too. How long?"

Valerie turned back to face him and found, much to her surprise, that he hadn't moved from where he was leaning against the waterfall. "Since the last time you ambushed me in here." There was steel in her tone and an underlying message that she hadn't forgotten his transgressions. "Why? Did you hurt her? I swear to God, Phantom, if you harmed even a single hair on her head, I'll—"

"—She's not the one I've sworn to destroy, Valerie. Don't get your panties in a bunch," he interrupted her threat, completely unperturbed by it.

"I'm not wearing panties, Phantom." The retort slipped out before she could stop it, and it wasn't until it was past her lips that she realized just what she said.

He laughed loudly. "Oh Valerie, really, you make it too easy." He faced her and waggled his brows up and down. "But just so you know, neither am I."

"Implying that you regularly _do_ wear panties?"

Dan seemed stumped for a moment, before he pushed off the rock and started to approach her with an ill-intentioned smile plastered on his face.

"I usually forgo underwear of any kind. It tends to bunch under my suit and ruin the lines of it."

Valerie gagged. "Oh Jesus, too much information. I did _not_ need to know that." Now that she thought about it, there must have been a lot of padding in the crotch area then so the clear outline of his… _manhood_ wasn't there for all to see. Never before had she been so thankful for a simple piece of clothing.

As he continued to approach her, she noticed that his hair was flickering down around his bare shoulders as opposed to above his head where it normally was. He had taken out his usual ponytail as well.

He still walked calmly towards her, and Valerie pushed herself as far into the edge as she could. She was a little more prepared for an encounter with him this time, however, and reached underneath the towel to retrieve her ectoplasmic knife from her suit.

Once he was about five feet from her, she brandished the blade at him. "Not any closer, Phantom."

"Are you saying you don't trust me, Valerie?" the sarcasm dripped heavily from his words, but he nonetheless complied.

"There's no good reason why I should, so yes." She made sure an arm was securely across her front and a leg up in front to hide everything else.

Dan huffed and crossed his arms over his own chest. "I suppose I would think you a fool if you did." With that final word, he turned and began to walk away to the other side of the large bath.

Valerie glanced quickly to the knife in her hand and then at the retreating back of her arch enemy. He was leaving her alone? This was unlike him entirely. Torturing and tormenting her was his favorite activity! Surely the small threat of the dagger alone was not enough to scare him off?

As he disappeared into the steam, Valerie realized that she was missing the best opportunity to ask him an important question. "Phantom, wait." He stopped and looked over his shoulder, a look of guarded suspicion gracing his face. "I have something to ask you." She hesitated, perhaps she was being too forward? If she was too obvious, then he would just laugh in her face and torment her with the fact that he knew the answer but refused to tell her.

"Well? What is it Valerie?" Dan asked slightly impatient. A smirk slowly spread across his face, "Or is the sight of my backside too much for you?"

Valerie blushed and scoffed indignantly, "As if! You're flatter than a board back there anyway!"

He grinned wider. "Oh, so you've looked before."

"I have done no such thing!" the Huntress exclaimed, scandalized.

"Your blush and defensive tone say otherwise, my dear. Admit it, you've checked me out before." The grin widened to include both sides of his mouth as he placed both hands proudly on his hips.

The young woman rolled her eyes and looked everywhere but at him.

But then an evil grin spread across her own features. "I don't know what you're talking about." Oh, revenge certainly was sweet. She wanted to see how he liked a taste of his own medicine. "It never happened." Teal meeting crimson once again, she challenged him to press it further, even though she had no intentions of budging even a little from her stance.

"Now you're just playing dirty, Valerie." He leered at her, his snake tongue flicking out from between his fangs.

"I do what I have to in order to survive."

"Surviving, yes, that's exactly what I would call the pathetic existence you and the rest of Amity Park continue to endure." His taunt hung heavily in the air between them, but Valerie bit her tongue in order to keep from taking his bait. The predatory look in his eye and the savage grin on his face told her that a strong emotional reaction was exactly what he wanted, and she refused to give it to him. More that likely it would escalate into a physical struggle which was not exactly something she was _entirely_ prepared for.

After a minute or two, when it became clear she wasn't going to react the way he wanted, Dan huffed with disappointment. His shoulders relaxed and his grin faded into the slightest sneer and his eyes closed half way lazily. "I do believe there was something you wanted to ask me, was there not? Hurry it up then!"

His prompt snapped Valerie back into reality and after another moment of thought, she decided that there was no subtle way around it. Either he would answer the question or he wouldn't, and she no longer had the energy to try and find a sneaky way to phrase it.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What does the name Plasmius mean to you, Dan?"

* * *

**I just couldn't resist the banter at the end. I've been waiting to write that scene for months now!**

**Leave me with your thoughts, if you'd like. I'd love to hear them!**


	7. Issues- The Relapse (Part 1)

**I'm sorry for the late update but life has kept me very busy these past few months and until a couple of weeks ago I was in Japan! But I'm back now and will hopefully be resuming a fairly regular updating schedule :D**

**Trish:  When is a better time to ask important questions other than when you're hot and naked? Innuendos give me life, so there are going to be a lot in the future. Once Dan gets his act together I am very excited to say it will be innuendos  _galore!  
_**

**Glad you're enjoying it so far, thanks for reviewing!**

********WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS CALLED "RELAPSE" FOR A REASON. SLIGHTLY TORTUROUS THEMES AHEAD********

* * *

The imposing form of Pariah Dark sat brooding in his palace. His prey had escaped him and had found refuge somewhere out of his grasp.

A large hand clenched into a fist, nearly cracking the stone arm rest of his black throne. With great difficulty, he reigned in his brutal temper to avoid broken possessions.

It would only be a matter of time until his servants unearthed the Huntress and Phantom from wherever they had foolishly sought refuge from him. But patience was never something the green-haired ghost had in abundance, and this game was beginning to grow old.

Something needed to be done to draw them out.

Perhaps he should lay siege to that pathetic town of Amity Park? The pitiful Ghost Shield they had put up would be nothing against him. It was truly a wonder they had managed to survive all these years with such a sorry piece of innovation.

Dark's jaw clenched. No that wouldn't work.

It would certainly draw out  _Valerie_ , but the one he wanted was  _Phantom_. Such a ploy would not work for that juvenile ghost who thought himself so mighty. He needed to be taught just exactly what it meant to be the most powerful ghost in existence. Truly, the boy was nothing more than playing at power.

A high-pitched whinny brought Pariah out of his dark musings in time to see the Fright Knight land his fearsome mount in the throne room. Its black bat wings folded gracefully into its sides as the black form of the medieval ghost dropped easily from his saddle.

"Well? What have you found? Report!" demanded the large being occupying the seat of power.

The Fright Knight bowed, prostrating himself completely on the floor. "My liege, the Red Huntress and Dan Phantom still remain undiscovered, but your servants continue to search diligently as you have ordered." He raised his helmeted head off the ground. "The other item you have requested also remains in realms unknown."

"This is not news I wish to hear, slave." This time the black stone did crack beneath his fingers in barely controlled rage, "I want Phantom and the Huntress found  _immediately_  and the key located  _now_ ," Pariah growled menacingly, and the helmeted head of the inferior ghost lowered once again.

"My deepest apologies, my king. I will see personally that both of your desires are found by my next report." The Fright Knight nervously chanced a glance back up at the imposing ruler whom he served without hesitation. "If I may, my lord, there may be a way to lure Phantom out of hiding."

A ghostly green eye narrowed with interest as he sat straighter in his throne. "Then speak."

"There have been rumors, my liege, of the appearance of a ghost who was once very dear to Phantom when he had been human." Nervous, the black ghost adjusted the sword on his hip, "They have been circulating that his sister has reincarnated into an ectoplasmic form. If we were to find her and use her as bait, perhaps it would draw him out from wherever he has hidden himself from you?" The suggestion was bold and the Fright Knight knew that if his master did not like it, he would most certainly not appreciate the insubordination on his part.

"How much truth do you believe is contained within these  _rumors?"_

"The tale has remained consistent despite the fact that I have heard it from several different ghosts in very separate areas of the Zone, my lord." Once again the Knight dropped his gaze respectfully.

Dark was quiet for a moment while he considered the suggestion. It was possible it might work. First off they would have to find the girl, but it would be unlikely that she would be hiding if she was not aware she was being pursued. She would also most certainly make for an easier target than Phantom and the Huntress, who were both proficient fighters.

"Very well, find the girl and then bring her to me. We shall wring her for information first before we use her as bait for a trap. Perhaps she knows something of value that we can use against Phantom."

Pariah waved a hand dismissively towards his vassal, who bowed once more before swiftly mounting his fanged horse.

"At once, my liege. This time I will not fail. I swear it on my honor."

"No you will not, or it shall be your last failure to me, Fright Knight."

* * *

(Dan)

_What does the name Plasmius mean to you, Dan?_

His vision blacked out for a moment as his power core thrummed loudly in his ears. The world fell out from underneath his feet, and the thrum turned into a roar.

" _Fool, do you really think I'm this weak? I'm more powerful than you'll ever know. Even now, my power increases."_

As his vision returned, it came back in a red haze covering everything within sight.

_"Sneak attack, very good, Daniel. You are getting more like me with every battle."_

His fangs extended further from his gums as he snarled viciously, and a glow began to surround his body. Distantly, he noticed Valerie grabbing the towel off the side of the bath and wrapping it tightly around her form, keeping herself covered at all times while also never letting go of the knife.

Dan didn't give her another chance to move.

Blurring into action, he swiftly closed the distance between them, taking hold of her wrists preventing her from moving any further. "Why do you bring up that name? What does it mean to  _you, Valerie?"_ he hissed viciously and pinned her against the edge of the bath.

"I'm not answering anything until you get your hands off of me!" she cried and lashed out violently with a foot aimed into his abdomen. The ghost evaded it easily with his intangibility as he immobilised her legs using his telekinesis.

" _Using your powers to get back at people you don't like? Throwing the first punch? You are more like me than you know!"_

"Never! I'm better than you!" His grip tightened on her hands as she winced with pain.

Then before he could react in time, she had adjusted the grip on the dagger and stabbed him in between his thumb and forefinger.

Snarling with rage, he retracted his now bleeding appendage. Wrist now free, Valerie went in for another slash at his other arm still firmly holding onto her.

Dan intercepted her knife hand and wrapped his large fist around hers. Wrenching her arm to the side, he adjusted his grip slightly until it was more around her wrist instead. Then he increased the pressure until she cried out in pain, and the knife clattered to the tiled edge.

"Get your hands off me, you damn ghost!" Valerie demanded as she fought to free herself from his grip, both physically and kinetically.

He grinned demonically, and the red glow from his eyes shined brightly on her face. "If you insist." And without further ado, he released her arms, but before she could do anything, he extended the telekinetic hold over her whole body still rendering her completely immobile. "There, isn't that better? Now we can talk like reasonable adults."

The vicious glare on her face clearly said she was anything but happy about the situation.

_"It feels good to use your powers on your enemies, doesn't it, Daniel?"_

"Yes, it does." Glancing back over to the knife laying innocently on the tiled edge, a devious thought formed in his mind. Grasping it, Dan found that it was weighted perfectly and that the hilt fit in his hand. He turned back to face Valerie, who was gazing at him with a delightful mix of confusion and fear. The telekinetic hold he had on her prevented her from speaking. "Tell me, my dear, was it  _Paulina_  who designed this? I have my doubts it could have been that brainless woman."

A fire ignited in her eyes as she watched him carefully.

Dan grinned, revealing a fang as he twirled the knife expertly before placing the sharpened edge against her collarbone and loomed over her. The huntress's glare sharpened and the fear all but disappeared from her form. The ghost's grin widened and pressed the blade closer to her throat until a small drop of red appeared underneath it.

"Now, why do you bring up such a  _distasteful_  topic as that patheticbeing I once called my arch enemy?"

The binding that prevented her from speaking vanished, but she did not respond right away. "I believe I asked first, Phantom," Valerie hissed when the blade shifted to underneath her chin, forcing her head back and exposing the vulnerable area.

"Plasmius was nothing but a nuisance that I exterminated long ago, which makes me curious as to why you feel the need to bring him up now? Why the sudden interest, Valerie?"

The young woman stared him down with her icy, blue-green gaze, "I don't see how that's relevant to the question. Plasmius was only ever just an enemy, that's it?"

She was cut off from asking more when the knife dug into the soft skin underneath her chin. "If you don't count the self-serving guardianship of Vlad Masters a relationship, then I suppose you would be right," Dan growled venomously.

"Vlad Masters? What does he have to do with this—?" her eyes widened into saucers, "He—he was a halfa! Like you were!  _He_  was Plasmius!" The light in her face clearly said that the dots had been connected.

Snarling wider, the male ghost decided he didn't like her moment of revelation. The less she knew about him, the better. "Now that we've gotten past the pleasantries," the grimace turned into a maniac grin so wide it threatened to split his face in half, "it's time to get to the fun part."

* * *

(Val)

There was fear in Valerie's face as she came to the realization that there wasn't anything she could do to stop him this time. She was completely at his mercy, of which, she knew he had none. There was no telling what he would do now that she was not only completely immobile, but he also had her knife. She made a point of keeping it in prime condition and razor sharp, its unique composition made specifically so she would have some sort of defence against him even when he was intangible.

Settling himself in more comfortably over her legs, the blade switched to rest dangerously close to her right eye and across her cheek. Her breathing quickened as she desperately tested the limit of his power and once again found she was securely bound, unable to move even an inch in any direction.

"Now where should we start, my dear? I wouldn't want to do  _too_  much damage; you injure so easily after all. That being said, I do so love seeing you helpless and weak." In a quick flick of his wrist, the sharp edge drew a thin red line down her cheek to the corner of her mouth.

Valerie grimaced and hissed in pain, but while the cut was not deep, it was so clean that it immediately started to bleed.

"I see you keep it in prime condition, Valerie. Very good, that will make things much more exciting." The sadistic glee in his voice sent chills down her spine that not even the hot bath water was able to stave off. Once again she tested his restraint on her, but it was just as secure as before.

His hand fisted roughly in her hair and yanked her head backwards completely exposing her throat to him. She could feel the tip of the knife trailing down her neck, grazing it and no doubt leaving a scrape mark. Her heart beat increased exponentially when Valerie realized that he could very well kill her now and there would be nothing she could do about it.

A whimper very nearly escaped her when she felt the cold metal stop directly over her trachea. Just a slight increase in pressure had her breath hitching in her chest as tears of terror burned her eyes. Valerie tried to restrain her emotions as she knew that her obvious fear would only fuel him on to continue hurting her further.

A deep, satisfied chuckle sounded from the villain, taking it upon himself to torture her as much as possible. "I like you like this, Valerie. Perhaps once Amity Park is either mine or gone, I will let you live. If only so you can be my personal form of entertainment for whenever I grow bored." Phantom mused darkly, and the young woman shuddered at the thought of being constantly at his beck and call where he could do anything to her that he wanted.

"I will die before I let you take or destroy Amity Park, you  _monster_!" Her voice was raspy with emotion and the strain of her head being forced so far backwards. It didn't waver, however, which made her feel slightly better.

The knife continued downwards and into the hollow between her collarbones before settling firmly on the center of her breastbone. The point dug harshly into her skin, and Valerie could feel it pierce through as blood welled to the surface. She winced twice, once for the new wound and once when the cut on her cheek stretched with her movement.

Dan laughed cruelly as he slowly began to drag the blade down her chest making an incision all the way to the valley between her breasts. "Don't be so dramatic,  _Huntress_!" he practically spat her title, "There's no need for you to die. In fact, I'm going to make sure that you, specifically, will live." The knife disappeared from her skin when the edge of the towel prevented him from cutting any further. Valerie let out a breath of relief and did her best to blink away the tears that overflowed, unbidden, from her eyes. "If memory serves me well, this is the same knife you stabbed me with not too long ago." The ghost mused somewhat nostalgically as a sharp pressure appeared on her side directly underneath her ribs.

Her head was suddenly forced upwards so she was looking directly into the psychotically grinning maniac straddling her. "I believe it was right here. Why don't we give you one to match? Yours, of course, will have to be considerably less deep as such a grievous wound would surely kill you, and that is not something I desire at the moment."

A mad glint lit up his crimson eyes, and Valerie braced herself for the agony that would tear through her system at any moment.

"TIME OUT!" ordered a familiar voice, and before her eyes, Dan froze completely.

Then, a purple staff swung into view, knocking him across the side of his face in a golf-style swing. "Time In." Immediately, the male ghost flew to the side, splashing water in every direction as he careened to the opposite side of the room. The resounding crack of him crashing into the stone wall echoed throughout the room.

Valerie gasped as the hold over her body disappeared, and she was finally able to try and alleviate the pain of her new injuries. Covering the considerably more serious cut on her chest with a hand, the young woman attempted to halt the steady flow of blood.

"I warned you once, Phantom. The next time you assault someone within my home, you would be dealing with me," Clockwork stated threateningly as he hovered in the air just above the water.

"You know, for someone who always claims they know everything, it would be really great if you could show up  _before_  this shit happens!" Valerie hissed as she climbed out of the water, her now soaked towel doing nothing for drying her equally sodden form. The cut on her chest was still bleeding steadily and she attempted to use the cloth of the towel to help it stop.

A great splash from the opposite end of the bath caught her attention as Dan shot from the water, his bottom half nothing but a ghostly tail, thank God. That was the last thing she needed to see right now, her arch enemy in all his naked glory.

"Something has come up, I am afraid." The time ghost hit the button on the top of his scepter, and Phantom once again froze in mid air, mid strike. Lazily moving out of his path, Clockwork then hit the same button, and the enraged ghost flew past him. "Jazz has disappeared."

Valerie's eyes widened with shock.

A green stream of energy burned through the air, nearly singeing the edge of the purple ghost's hood. It was only thanks to his quick dodge that he remained unscathed. Fed up with the immature actions of the villainous ghost, Clockwork put a purple telekinetic hold on him that securely pinned his arms to his sides and forced him to the ground.

"That is enough. There is no time for petty squabbles." He spoke calmly but there was an underlying threat within his words that added a dangerous edge to them. "Your sister is in grave danger now that she has left the safety of my palace. Pariah Dark has learned of her existence and plans to use her as leverage against you. As we speak, his servants close in on her."

Dan snarled and glared fiercely as he fought the hold. "What do I care? She was never  _my_  sister; she was  _Fenton's_  sister! That weakling was always the one who cared so much about her!"

The Time Master's face darkened dangerously as he swung his scepter in an arc, which then caused launched the captured Phantom into the wall with so much force, it cracked the stone in a spider web formation.

"How did she leave? I thought only you had the power to do that," Valerie demanded of Clockwork as her chest wound slowly began to stop bleeding.

His pupiless eyes turned to her with a look of deep sadness and worry, "I was careless and while I was distracted helping Frostbite return with your battle suit, she took one of my time medallions and slipped into the Ghost Zone."

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Valerie demanded, incensed that this supposedly all-knowing ghost was letting something as simple as a ghost within his care escape so easily.

Clockwork opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when Phantom laughed cruelly, "Of course he did! In fact, he probably  _let_  it happen. Isn't that right,  _Clockwork?_ Just like how you let Fenton's friends and family die! Just like how you let Frostbite's people die in their failed resistance against me!" The young woman could feel his red gaze settle on her, and Valerie turned to meet it. They glowed an eerie crimson, contrasting heavily with the purple that surrounded the rest of his body, "Just like how he  _let_  Pariah Dark come back."

Her teal eyes narrowed as Valerie switched her gaze back to the Time Master. His silence throughout Dan's speech had not gone unnoticed. "That's not true…Is it?"

There was a moment of silence before the blue ghost responded, "Everything happens for a reason. Everything is the way it should be." There was an edge of melancholy to his voice but not nearly as much as the Huntress thought there should be.

Valerie could only stare in horror at the ghost she had once thought of as good. Now she realized how wrong she had been. Clockwork did not take sides; he was not anyone's ally. He was only helping them to achieve an outcome that was satisfactory to him, and him alone.

"So what are we to you,  _Master of Time?_  Are we nothing more than your pawns in the greater scheme you have for the future? Are our lives so meaningless to you that you can just stick your hands in where you see fit and change things so they better suit your tastes?" Valerie's rage boiled hot in her veins as realizations seemed to dawn on her all at once. How could she have ever thought that she could rely on this  _ghost?_  Hadn't she learned her lesson that none of them could be trusted?

After all her hard years of fighting their kind, none had ever been even remotely friendly. Least of all the red-eyed Phantom who was grinning widely at the rift he had caused. A sudden chill swept through her body as one particular epiphany struck her. Staring horrified at the blue ghost, Valerie found herself almost unable to ask the question she knew she wouldn't like the answer to. "Could you have stopped this  _whole thing?_  Did you choose to leave all of humanity to perish from the madness of Phantom? Are we only living this reality because  _you_ _ **allowed it?**_ _"_ Her voice cracked at the end as she had to swallow past the sudden lump forming in her throat. "What other possibilities exist that you ignored in favor of this hell?!"

"Please, Valerie, you may be angry with me later. Right now, time is of the essence, and we must act quickly. Jazz is in grave danger," Clockwork pleaded as the purple restraints faded from around Dan, who took the opportunity to right himself and dust off his shoulders. A self-satisfied grin split his face as he gazed back at the Red Huntress, who narrowed her eyes in return. She didn't like how happy he seemed right now. He was clearly up to something.

"So why don't  _you_  go help her, Clockwork? Why are we the ones always forced to do your dirty work?" Valerie demanded angrily as the sodden fabric clung to her body and drippedwater onto the tiled floor.

"I cannot do that. In order to keep from disrupting the time stream irreparably , the degree that I can interfere on my own is very limited. This is why I choose to work through a champion instead." There was a deep sadness in the ghost's voice even as she turned her back to him and started to walk towards the changing area. The sooner she got dried off and proper clothes on, the better. A fresh towel appeared in front of her, floating in mid air. "As much as I would like to, I cannot prevent every tragedy before it begins."

Valerie snatched the dry towel from the air. "Right, because they have to serve some sort of purpose first before you can rewrite them," she spat venomously as she carefully wrapped the fresh towel over her shoulders to keep her body hidden as she unwrapped the soaked one. It fell to the tiled floor with a wet splat as the young woman then folded the fresh one around her chest and tied it tightly, "I can't speak for the child over there," she waved vaguely in Phantom's direction, "but I will help you find Jazz. If only in honour of the memory of when she was alive."

"I'm not a child," growled the ghost in question.

Dramatically, Valerie brought her hands to the sides of her face, "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry you big baby." Turning on her heel to face her enemy, she flushed a deep scarlet to realize he was now fully materialized and was still fully naked. "If you're not a child, then you'll be able to put your own feelings aside and help me find Jazz."

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, "You would try to ally with a  _ghost_  and not just  _any ghost_  but  _ **me**_?" he smirked diabolically, "The one who murdered your friends and family, your  _precious_  Fenton and is the sole reason for the Ghost Shield of Amity Park?"

"Yes! Because I'm an adult I can see that this isn't about me, and no matter how much I hate you, Jazz doesn't deserve a fate as Pariah's prisoner just because you're an asshole." Valerie took a more solid stance. "She was already tortured by the other ghosts once. Who knows what  _Dark_  has in store for her?"

"And I should care why?" he cocked an eyebrow and shifted his weight to one tattooed hip.

Valerie screamed inwardly. This clearly wasn't working; she would have to switch tactics. "There's only one person who knows more about your powers than I do, and that's Jazz. You want Pariah knowing all that? He already wiped the floor with you once  _without_  that knowledge. You really wanna know how easily he'd do it if he  _did?_ "

Dan's face dropped and Valerie knew she'd hit the nail on the head. He fell for anything once she made it about his pride. "Tch,  _fine_. I'll help you on your pathetic little rescue mission. But only because it proves advantageous for fighting Pariah," the villainous ghost relented reluctantly. Turning back to the Master of Time who now looked very relieved, Dan motioned carelessly towards the door. "Well lead the way, Clockwork. We need to hurry and find  _my sister_."

"Of course." The blue ghost floated past Valerie and gave her a grateful smile, which she returned with a skeptical stare. Closely behind him followed Dan, who sneered at the young woman. She responded with a vicious glare. Once he had passed, she was once again reminded that he was completely naked.

Lifting a lip in irritation she grabbed the still wet towel from the floor and wound it up between her hands until it was a taught rope. Loping forward a couple steps to gain momentum, she then whipped the cloth directly at his bare backside. There was a noncommittal, "Watch out" from Clockwork as the crack of the makeshift whip echoed throughout the room.

Dan cried out in pain and surprise as he leapt around to face Valerie. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON!" she exclaimed before throwing the offending article at him.

It landed square in his face smothering anything else he was going to say and pushed him backwards off balance. Both feet flew up in the air as he fell backwards through a conveniently timed, and well-placed, blue portal.

Clockwork met her suspicious gaze with a knowing smirk as he winked and then vanished into another portal.

* * *

(Jazz)

Valerie had been right. That wasn't Danny. Danny would have never treated her so harshly or yelled at her with such hatred and anger. That was a twisted and tortured soul who took the form of her brother.

Glancing down at the medallion with the initials CW carved into it, Jazz gripped it tightly. She couldn't afford to give up though. The Danny she had once known had to be in there somewhere. It would just take more time than she thought to find him.

The young girl winced as her skin started to burn with the familiar sensation of the growing marks. For nearly eight years they had been growing steadily over her body but it was a small price to pay if it meant her brother could be spared this pain. It was her penance for leaving before he was ready but now it was only a matter of time before they consumed her completely and she faded from existence entirely. A glance down revealed that her shirt no longer hid the evidence as the tattoos extended above her neckline. It would not be long now.

Sighing heavily, she stared into the swirling green abyss that she now called home. How she longed for the blue skies of earth, the rain, the snow, the cloudy days she used to detest so much. Anything seemed better than this constant nauseating, green hellscape.

The swirling clouds of ectoplasm hypnotized her until Jazz lost track of all time staring into the distance listlessly. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours that she remained in the same position. But it wasn't until a click-clacking of bones alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone.

Quickly activating her ghostly invisibility, she hid behind a nearby rock.

Skeletons wearing a variety of armor ranging from World War II all the way back to ancient Roman armor began to swarm the small floating island she was on. These couldn't be Pariah's soldiers? Why were they here? There wasn't anything advantageous about this rock. She had to get back to Clockwork's tower.

A horse's whinny and the boom of large wings flapping made Jazz freeze in her tracks. Turning her head in the direction of the noise confirmed her worst fear.

There stood Pariah Dark's right hand man, the Fright Knight and he was astride his terrifying, bat-winged Pegasus. Large hooves pawed the dirt restlessly as its sharp fangs chewed on the bit.

"I know you are here, Jasmine Fenton." The voice of the Fright Knight echoed over the small space. They were looking for her? Why? "If you give yourself up willingly, this will be much easier. I have been authorized to use whatever force necessary to bring you back to King Pariah."

Anger flooded her system. Obviously, they wanted to use her against Danny and Valerie. If he thought for even one second she would comply, he was gravely mistaken.

The horse whipped its head in her direction as smoke billowed from its nostrils in a giant exhale. It whinnied again and began to stamp angrily. Knowing her cover was blown, the young ghost flew in the opposite direction as fast as she could. She had to get back to the Time Palace!

"You cannot escape me, girl!" the Fright Knight declared as the steady beating of wings told her he was hot on her tail. She pushed herself to fly faster but the black clad ghost continued to gain ground on her. As she focused more on speed and less of stealth, the invisibility faded from her body, not that it mattered anyways. He had known she was there.

A sudden force pinned her arms to her sides and she began to pull her back towards the Fright Knight. Jazz fought with all her strength, but it was to no avail when she was staring the Spirit of Halloween dead in his pupiless, irisless, violet eyes.

"Got you."

* * *

***gasp* oh no! Jazz! D:**

**I hope you enjoyed this update! Leave me a comment with your thoughts if you would like! I'd love to hear them :)**


	8. Issues- The Relapse: Part 2

**Okay so I know this chapter is super late but I hit some nasty writer's block and the only way I was able to move past it was writing my other Dark Gray story ;A; but I finally got to this one again and now I present you with an extra long chapter for the wait!  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

 Valerie re-entered the room Clockwork had given her, and upon the bed lay her long-sleeved black shirt and thick leggings she wore underneath her battle suit. She wasn't quite sure where he had taken them, or how they had gotten clean, but she wasn't exactly in a position to complain right now. Especially since speed was of the essence.

The thought of innocent Jazz being in the hands of Pariah, whose malevolence was rivalled only by Phantom, made her sick to her stomach. Working together with Phantom was hardly the ideal solution, but if she were to be completely honest with herself, Dark scared her. He had hardly lifted a finger, and she had barely escaped with her life.

Valerie's hands shook with an emotion she didn't want to label as fear, but deep down she knew exactly what it was. Her breath started to quicken and as she tried to supress it; it caught in her chest and came out in panicked gasps. Oh god, she wasn't ready for this confrontation yet. It was too soon, she hadn't healed yet, and Dan just kept hurting her more.

Her knees gave out beneath her as she sunk against the side of the bed. At this rate, she wasn't going to be able to handle this much longer. Encountering him three or four times in a week had been more than enough before, but being constantly around Phantom was taking its toll. It was too much, too much. Her chest ached with the new wound and the aggravation of old ones, all of which were from the infamous Ravager of Worlds.

A knock on the door alerted her to the presence of a visitor. "Valerie, are you in there?"

Frostbite.

The Huntress responded after a moment to make sure that her voice wouldn't crack or at all give away that she had been losing her composure. "Yeah, I'm just getting changed, one second." Appearances were everything after all. Ignoring the pain in her chest, Valerie quickly donned her pants and shirt. After one final calming breath, she turned to the door. "Okay, you can come in now."

The large white beast turned the knob and entered. "Clockwork has informed me of what happened while I was absent." Sadness was in his purple eyes as he observed the cut along her cheek. "Are you alright?"

His tone was clear and genuine in its concern, and Valerie had a hard time keeping her emotions in check. He sounded so much like her father in that one moment that it threatened to break through the dam she had put around everything. She missed him so much that it hurt.

Valerie tried to nod her head, but it was too much, and she felt the first tear fall. Her vision became obscured as more tears welled up in her eyes. The young woman shook her head from side to side, curls falling over her shoulders. "No, I'm not. I…I can't do it, Frostbite."

Almost immediately, the large snow beast was kneeling in front of her and pulling her into his surprisingly soft fur. "You have been through so much in so little time, Valerie. You should not feel ashamed that you are overwhelmed by it all, least of all blame yourself for the actions of Daniel. He no longer knows self-restraint and takes joy in the suffering of others." His deep voice vibrated through her entire body with its resonance.

"I'm scared, I'm not ready for this! What if he turns on me? I can't fight both him  _and_  Pariah Dark! But I can't just abandon Jazz to be tortured!" Valerie sobbed into his thick fur as everything came to a head, all her worries and stress bubbling over all at once. His large paw—the one that wasn't made of ice—rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"Your fear is completely justified, and I wish I could set your mind at ease that everything will be fine, but I cannot say what will happen." He pulled away to look her in the eye, "For that I am truly sorry, but I know that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for, my dear. No matter what happens, I have no doubt you will be alright."

Valerie pulled in a shaky breath and pushed away from the large snow beast as she dried her tears, making sure to not catch the still open wound on her cheek. "Okay, I'm okay now. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"It's quite alright, Valerie. You carry a large burden on your shoulders—the responsibility of your people's safety, and the threat of personal loss should you fail. It would be unfair of anyone to expect you to bear it without it weighing on you in some way." His deep voice rumbled with a tone that suggested he was speaking from personal experience. Though it would make sense, he shared a position very similar to her own.

"Thanks for understanding. Just don't tell anyone about this." After a second's hesitation Valerie realized that her request actually sounded more like a demand. "…Please?"

Frostbite grinned, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. "Of course, your secret is safe with me." For the first time in longer than she could remember, the young woman found herself genuinely returning his smile. "Now I believe I have something that will lift your spirits considerably."

The arm made of ice brought itself forward to reveal, in his palm, a familiar red object.

"My battle suit! Oh, thank god! I thought for a moment Clockwork meant for me to go in just as I am." Valerie cried, grateful that she was not going to be unarmed. Plus, the more she could physically put between herself and Dan, the better. "I would've had to kick his ass for that."

Taking the gauntlet from the white beast's open palm, she donned it and activated her suit. It rushed over her body, its panels fitting together perfectly until she was covered in sleek red armor. Breathing a sigh of relief, Valerie once again felt like The Red Huntress.

"Unfortunately, my people were not able to repair your helmet in time, but my best workers continue to work on it as we speak," Frostbite apologized, but the young woman felt no ill feelings towards him.

"That's okay. I have the bulk of it, and my weapons seem to be fully functional again." Doing a quick check over all her systems, they seemed to be functioning at 100% capacity. He had done a better job than she thought he would. Valerie was impressed. One thing she noticed was the distinct lack of her jet sled, but it was large and cumbersome, so it was likely just outside somewhere. "Well I suppose we should meet up with everyone else and my…  _loyal ally._ " The last bit was said with disgust, which had Frostbite smirking.

"Yes, they are no doubt waiting and despite being the Master of Time, Clockwork is not known for his patience."

Well, that was no surprise when he could literally manipulate time, so he never had to wait.

In companionable silence, the yeti-like creature and the Ghost Slayer walked through the winding hallways of the Time Palace. With all the twists and turns, Valerie soon had become lost, but the snow beast seemed to know exactly where he was going, so she trusted his sense of direction. Clearly he had been here many times before.

Eventually, they came to a very large set of purple, double doors that had blue ornamentation along the edges. Frostbite pushed on them and without a sound, they swung inwards.

On the other side, the room was dark, the only illumination being the many different monitors that glowed eerily into the darkness. They were blank except for green swirling patterns that were slightly reminiscent of the Ghost Zone itself. These must have been how Clockwork kept an eye on the time stream.

"And here I was just beginning to think you'd changed your mind," a deep voice derided from the shadows. Dan stepped forward to reveal himself. The glow from his hair cast sharp shadows on his face that made him look even more terrifying than normal. "How disappointing to see that you haven't."

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," Valerie retorted, refusing to back down from his challenge. "Finding Jazz on my own would be so much easier."

Dan snarled and glowed a little bit brighter, lighting up the space around him. "Don't make me laugh. You wouldn't last one minute in the Ghost Zone by yourself. It is constantly moving and changing. A pathetic human such as yourself would only get hopelessly lost and die trying to find your way out."

"Well, it is most fortunate then that you will be there as a most  _reliable_  guide, isn't it?" Clockwork cut in as he too floated from the shadows of the room. The flame-haired ghost sneered at the Master of Time, which was returned with a knowing smile.

 _Little shit_ , Valerie thought. "Only if he can keep up to me." She crossed her arms over her chest while her arch enemy turned to glare at her before rolling his eyes.

" _Please,_  we both know I outmatch you in speed by a long shot. I've broken the sound barrier before. Have you?"

"I'll believe  _that_  when I see it. If it's even true, I bet it's happened once, and it was an incident that you have yet to repeat." Valerie felt her hackles rise. She knew she was taking his bait, but she couldn't help it. If she didn't, he would think he'd won.

"Better yet, I'll take you  _with me,_ " he grinned savagely, "and I'll watch as your head explodes from the pure g-force."

"Not if  _your_ head explodes first from the grenade I'll shove in your mouth," she growled and took a battle stance which Dan mimicked, his grin growing wider.

"We need to focus on the matter at hand!" Frostbite interjected, putting a calming hand on Valerie's shoulder. "This is a…conversation that can be saved for another time."

At his cooling touch, the red haze that had been seeping into her vision dissipated. He was right, of course. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Seeing that she had gotten her temper under control once more, Frostbite asked, "Clockwork, where is Jasmine now?"

"She has been taken to Pariah's Castle where she is now being held captive. She is not in immediate danger, but it will not be long I fear." The Master of Time turned to the glowing ghost. "Dan, you are familiar with the whereabouts of his castle, are you not?"

"It doesn't seem like I'm joining this idiotic mission for my good looks, tragically," he lamented with a grin, and Valerie had to swallow a derisive snort.

"Good, then you shouldn't have a problem taking the Red Huntress there." Clockwork was grinning like he knew something neither of them did, and she didn't like it.

"Great, so let's get going. Where's my jet sled?" Valerie turned to Frostbite, who suddenly looked hesitant.

"You have my deepest apologies Valerie, but it truly was  _only_  your suit my people were able to repair." His deep voice was low with regret.

Her eyes widened with shock. "How am I supposed to get there? I can't fly!"

"Thankfully there is someone who  _can,_ " Clockwork butted in again as he pointedly looked over at Dan and leaned on his staff.

There was a beat of silence as Valerie looked to Dan, and Dan to Clockwork before turning to her; and they both turned to Clockwork.

"No, no way!" It was the only thing the ghost and the human were able to agree on.

The Master of Time grinning knowingly.

* * *

 "Your foot is digging into my hip, and your arm is choking me," grumbled Dan as he flew across the Ghost Zone dimensions, the infamous Red Huntress on his back.

"Oh, is it?" Valerie purposefully dug her heel in a bit harder to the bone she could feel clearly even through the metal of her boot. "How's that?"

"You bitch."

"I'm not the one on the bottom,  _or_  the one being used. So I believe that makes  _you_  the bitch in this situation," she retorted, smirking widely.

"I dare you to repeat that once we're back at Clockwork's tower and you don't have that fancy suit on," the ghost groused, clearly not happy with the situation at all. It was necessary, however, as her jet sled was out of commission.

Frostbite's people were still working diligently to complete the repairs on it. The engines had been completely ruined and needed to be rebuilt from scratch. Not that she was surprised. She had pushed them past their limit trying to escape Pariah.

"I don't have to wait until we're back at Clockwork's, I can do it right now." Just to spite him, she retracted her suit into the gauntlet on her free hand and leaned down to his ear. "You're the bitch in this situation." She could feel his muscles tense before his form dematerialized beneath her, and with an indignant squawk she fell through him.

For the briefest of moments, she was free falling into the swirling abyss that was the Ghost Zone—and in the next, Dan had solidified his body to catch her. His cold arms firmly wrapped around her torso and pulled her tightly against his chest. Pure survival instinct had her wrapping her legs around his waist to keep from falling to her death. She hissed with pain as his tight hold put pressure on her tender ribs.

"Now who's the bitch?" the very  _male_  ghost posed with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

Valerie fought the blush that threatened to redden her cheeks at their new situation. He was much too close for her comfort. "It's still you." She drew her face back as far as her neck would allow and reactivated her battle suit. That made the situation a little better, even if she still lacked her helmet. She still didn't like that her legs were still wrapped around his waist, but she didn't trust him to not let go if she unwrapped them. "Now put me down, you're crushing my ribs."

"No, that would be a waste of time, and I'm quite enjoying this change of position. You're heavier than you look." His comments were said to rile her up, but the stabbing pain in her chest was making it hard to concentrate on anything else.

"I can't breathe!" she wheezed as she fisted the material of his suit to leverage herself out of his crushing grip. What little oxygen she managed to coax into her system was in short, shallow breaths. He was undoing what little healing her body had managed to do. They were going to break all over again, she could feel it.

The burning red gaze of his stare seared her skin as he watched her writhe.

"Deactivate your suit."

"What?" she gasped as tears born of the agony in her body formed in the corners of her teal eyes.

He snarled, impatient, "I'm going to try something, but it won't work unless you deactivate your battle suit."

"No way!" Valerie gasped shallowly. "You'll just break them again."

"Just trust me. Or I really  _will_  break your ribs again, along with several other important bones!"

"Trust you? That's like asking—" she paused to take in another breath, "—the gazelle to trust the cheetah to not eat it." It was getting worse, she could barely talk anymore as the tears leaked from her eyes unbidden and unwanted. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to even move let alone fight.

Searching his red eyes that were honed on her face, however, she couldn't see any of the madness that usually swamped them when he intended to torture her. They were clear with what seemed to be genuine intentions to do something useful.

"Fine," she hissed between gritted teeth, "but I swear to god, if you hurt me again, I'll  _end_  you—help be damned!" And with that, she deactivated her suit and the sleek red panels retracted into the gauntlet.

"Whatever you say, Valerie."

She could feel him reposition his hands so they rested on either side of her ribcage. He still held her tight to him, which made his actions intimate. It didn't help that she was still straddling his hips.

For a moment, nothing was happening, and she was beginning to think that he had just used this as an excuse to feel her up, but then she felt it. A fire started up in her chest, directly under his hands. It escalated to inferno levels almost instantly, and it felt like her ligaments were being torn from her bones.

Crying out in agony, she tried to detach herself from the source of her pain, but Dan held her fast. Her bones were realigning themselves underneath her skin as the blaze spread to other parts of her body. Her cheek tingled and itched as it felt like something was being dragged across the incision.

A pained grunt from Phantom made her look to him. Shock momentarily replaced the pain. Upon his face…

…there was a cut.

The exact cut he had given her.

The irritation slowly began to disappear on her face until it was gone completely. The fire in her chest began to dim as well until it was nothing but a pleasant tingle that left her feeling euphoric.

Valerie watched as the cut on his face healed and disappeared almost immediately after the inferno had died in her own body. Bringing a hand to her own face, she found nothing but smooth skin.

Dan gazed back into her eyes, the clear neutrality still present.

Confused, she reactivated her suit. She felt better with it to protect and cover her.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded, and that was when she noticed that the pain of breathing was no longer present. In fact, nothing hurt anymore.

"It seems like it worked. Now I won't have to listen to you whine." Dan switched his gaze back up to the direction they were heading.

"What worked? What did you do?"

"I transferred my healing factor into your body temporarily. It healed your injuries. But there seemed to be a bit of rebound back to me."

Valerie found herself in awe. Even though Dan would have felt the same pain she did, he hadn't stopped and continued to feed the healing energy into her. "I see…" the decent part of her knew that she should thank him, but the vindictive, prideful part refused to speak such a humiliating phrase. There was no telling how big his ego would grow if she uttered those words.

"Well… I'm waiting." A smirk split his face.

"What, do you want a medal? A heartfelt thank you? Because you're a fool if you expect to get either of those from me," Valerie retorted, raising an eyebrow and giving him a flat stare.

Dan's smirk turned dark as it stretched to reveal his bottom fangs. He glanced down to meet her gaze. "That's playing dirty."

* * *

 Valerie wasn't sure how much time had passed since they had left Clockwork's palace—there was no way to tell time in the swirling hellscape of green. They landed on the floating plane that hosted the castle of the previous Ghost King.

A familiar form awaited them behind a large outcropping of rock.

Karma watched them approach with a small smile lifting her lips upwards. "You made it," she greeted them as she floated towards them with graceful steps.

Once they were close enough to the ground, Valerie quickly extricated herself from the ghost she had used as her personal transport. Surprisingly, he let her go without much resistance.

"What are you doing here?" Dan demanded with a snarl. The mysterious ghost took her time answering as she gazed calculatingly at the Huntress. The small smile spread a bit further on her face before she finally turned back to the male ghost addressing her.

"Did Clockwork not inform you? I am here to help you sneak into Pariah Dark's castle," the ghost stated and crossed her arms over her chest.

" _Sneak?_ " Dan repeated incredulously, and Valerie had to fight a sigh. It had seemed like a reasonable scenario to her. "I  _refuse_  to sneak in there like some  _weakling_. We're going to break down that gate and make him pay for crossing me!"

"Yeah, because fighting Pariah head on served you so well last time," Valerie interjected, hoping to hide the fear she felt at the thought of confronting Dark head on. "Don't forget I'm missing my jet sled right now to save you again because it's still busted from saving you  _last time_." Shifting her weight to one hip, she stared down the male ghost who turned to sneer haughtily at her.

"Don't patronize me. I would have been  _fine_  without your help. But if I hadn't healed you on the way here, I'm not so sure you would have been fine without  _me_. You could barely breathe, let alone talk, and I had hardly touched you."

Valerie narrowed her eyes. "Well, let's not forget who was responsible for those injuries  _in the first place_. You didn't do me a favor, you righted a wrong of your own doing. That's what's  _expected_  of adults."

"Don't preach to me, Valerie. You're no saint. Stop pretending to be." Dan's lip lifted to reveal a fang.

Karma interjected, putting up a hand to stop their bickering before it got out of control. "There will be time for this later. For now, we must focus on infiltrating Pariah's castle. It will be no easy task; you must work together if you wish to be successful."

"Alright, so what's the plan for getting in?" Valerie asked. "Have you already scouted the place out?"

"I cannot approach any closer without alerting the entire castle to my presence. You must be careful as well," the red-haired woman warned them.

Dan huffed and rolled his eyes. "So what you're saying is you can't help us after all? How are you going to help us find a way in if you can't get near the castle?" The male ghost scoffed, and Valerie had to bite her lip to keep herself from saying anything in response.

Karma's smile turned lopsided and mischievous. "Now I never said that."

* * *

 " _Ugh, of course it_ had _to be the sewers," Dan groused unhelpfully as they trudged through calf-high ectoplasmic waste._

" _It could be worse," Valerie said, voice muffled as she covered her mouth and nose with a hand to block out the stench._

" _And how could it_ possibly _be worse, Valerie?"_

" _You could be naked. That would certainly make things a lot worse."_

" _Me? What about you? Why am I the one who would be naked?" he exclaimed, disgruntled and offended._

_The Huntress smirked underneath her hand. "Because you're the one complaining like a child, so therefore you get the punishment."_

" _I am not a child."_

" _You keep saying that, but I'm not convinced." She smirked wider. "An adult would have admitted he kissed me and dealt with it."_

_There was a beat of silence before a hand appeared on her arm to turn her around to face the snarling face of Dan. "_ _**When are you going to let that go?** _ _" he hissed._

" _When it finally stops bothering you. After that, it won't be fun anymore." Valerie pried his hand from her arm. "Now be quiet. We're probably getting close, and I don't want to get caught."_

_Dan 'tsk-ed' as he pushed past her to take the lead. "You would do that, wouldn't you. Hold something so trivial over my head until it no longer garners a reaction from me."_

" _That sounds like a confession, Phantom. So you admit it happened?" She crossed her arms over her chest._

_He stopped dead in his tracks. "A confession would make me guilty, which I can assure you, I am not."_

_There was a higher note to his voice this time that was normally absent._

" _I don't believe you, but if it will keep that mouth of yours shut, I'll let it go… for now." She mumbled the last two words on purpose, but there was no doubt that he heard them._

" _Whatever, Valerie," Dan snapped as they continued into the sewers._

* * *

 "Frostbite! We need your help, now!" Valerie cried in a panic as she burst through the doors back to the Time Palace. Her voice echoed eerily through the empty halls, and she could only hope that he was within hearing range.

A blue portal opened in front of her, and mercifully, the large white beast stepped from its depths. Clockwork was right behind him.

"Three Fates, what happened?!" Frostbite swore, horrified as he observed the bloody body within the Huntress's grasp. Ectoplasmic blood coated her red battle suit, with what looked like a bloody handprint on her face. Her teal eyes were wide with fear, and there was a slight tremble to her body. Frostbite shook his head, "That is not important right now, you may tell me later. Right now we need to focus on stopping the bleeding."

"This way," Clockwork piped up and once again opened a portal, wasting no time. The snow beast went first with Valerie only a step behind him.

As she passed the Master of Time, she noticed that he purposefully looked away from the gory body in her arms, his face twisted in pain. The Huntress wasn't able to ponder it for much longer as she passed through the portal to an unfamiliar bedroom.

"Quickly, on the bed here, and I will begin treatment," Frostbite ordered, taking control of the situation as his cool head began to show through the panic and shock. Valerie nodded distantly and did as he asked.

* * *

 " _This must be the grate that red woman mentioned." Dan grasped the bars and carefully lifted it from where it sat in its niche. Then he scanned the surrounding area above the sewer. "It's clear. Come on, I'm sick of this cesspool." Before she could respond in any way, he flew up through the opening in the floor, leaving Valerie stranded._

" _Hey, hot shot, I don't have a way up!" she called out. The grate was too high for her to reach, even if she jumped. And there was no way she was touching those walls if she could avoid it._

_Dan's face appeared in the opening. "Oh my god, are you kidding me?"_

" _Does it look like I'm kidding you?" Valerie spread her arms out to indicate the lack of anything to help her ascend. "Now stop being a dick and help me up!"_

" _You owe me for this," he lamented dramatically as he reached down and stretched out a hand. Valerie gave the appendage a mistrustful stare for a moment before she took it. His strong fingers wrapped around her wrist and with a grunt of effort, pulled her from the sewer._

" _I don't owe you anything. You're just doing exactly what you're meant to be doing, helping me. I would have done the same for you if our positions had been reversed. Stop being such a drama queen about this." Teal eyes flashed with irritation at his immaturity. She had put up with his grousing for the last 15 minutes and was fed up with it._

" _Let's get something straight here." Dan crossed his arms and sneered down his nose at the Red Huntress. "I am_ _ **not**_ _your lackey, and the only reason I'm here at all is because you were_ incapable _of even_ being _here without me." Finished, he turned and began to walk away. "You're welcome, for the record."_

" _Would you stop being so entitled? Jesus, you do like, what? Two good things in your whole afterlife and suddenly expect me to be falling all over myself to thank you?" Valerie retorted as she moved the grating back into place over the sewer. The less evidence they left of their intrusion, the better._

" _See, this is why I can't stand you. You're so stubborn and needing to be the better person, always have the last word and the last say in everything! Not to mention failing to acknowledge when someone does something genuinely good for you and then it goes completely unthanked!"_

" _It hurts to look in a mirror, doesn't it?" Valerie retorted as she stood back up to face him._

_Dan growled before turning his back on her and walking away. "Whatever, I'm done with this conversation. Let's just do what we came here to do."_

" _Do you know where you're going?" Valerie asked as she brought up her wrist and activated the ecto-sensor. "You got your signature under wraps?"_

" _Let's put it this way, we wouldn't be alone down in this godforsaken dungeon if I didn't." the exasperation was clear in his voice, but she ignored it._

" _Good, now I'll be able to pick up other ghosts as opposed to just you."_

_As her sensor searched for signatures, it showed the layout of the current floor they were on. The signatures appeared as yellow dots on the map, which was very similar to a radar and there were marks of varying sizes. As it refreshed regularly, the little map showed that some of the marks were stationary while others were moving. Most likely, they were guards performing patrols on the castle._

" _Jazz is likely to be one of the ghosts not moving. We'll start looking for her there," Valerie ordered, taking control and starting walking down one of the deserted hallways. Dan followed one step behind her, analyzing her radar, clearly fascinated with it. It was slightly irritating and uncomfortable to have him so close to her, but if it amused him and kept him silent, then she was going to have to deal with it._

_As they scoured the labyrinth that was the dungeon of Pariah's castle, the only reason they didn't end up getting lost was because of the map that she had on her arm. It told them when a guard was coming and allowed them to hide in time. Dan wasn't able to use any of his powers without risking being sensed by other ghosts, so even he had to physically hide just as she did._

" _Get down, a guard's coming.," Dan hissed when he noticed the yellow dot coming towards them on the map. Valerie squeaked in surprise as he grabbed her arm and abruptly pulled her to the side. There was a pile of straw in one of the open, empty cells, and the male ghost threw her into it before quickly following suit._

_They hid there a moment for the guard to pass by. Valerie was grateful that it was only for about a minute. Any longer with Dan lying on top of her, and there was no guarantee she would be able to stop herself from killing him. The situation had been made even more uncomfortable by the fact that her face had been pressed into the gross floor the entire time._

_Once he was gone, Valerie reactivated her radar. "You didn't have to be so rough, I knew he was there too," She scolded the ghost still currently enamoured with her tech._

" _If you knew, how come you weren't doing anything about it?"_

" _Because I wasn't going to panic like you did. I've used this to hunt ghosts before, I know how much time it takes me to get out of the way of one," she deadpanned up into his strangely innocently curious red eyes. It was slightly disturbing; innocence didn't suit the Destroyer of Worlds. "I've even managed to avoid_ _ **you**_ _on more than one occasion with it."_

_His eyes widened in shock. "What? You have used this piece of technology against me?"_

_Valerie raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That was kind of the whole point around creating it in the first place…"_

_A weak voice called from around the corner, "Valerie…?"_

_At once, both ghost and human alike disregarded all demand for stealth and rushed towards the voice._

_Sure enough, they found Jazz in the next cell. She was huddled against the back wall, and from what Valerie could see she was chained to it. Ectoplasmic bonds were visible around both wrists and connected to the wall behind her._

" _Valerie." Jazz switched her gaze to the male ghost accompanying her, and the Huntress did not miss the fear and apprehension that crossed her blue eyes. "And Danny, what are you doing here?"_

" _We're here to get you of course! Now come on, Dan, help me break these bars."_

" _No."_

_Valerie stopped. "What?"_

" _We've found Jazz; my job here is done. You can get out on your own now. I'm going to do what I came here to do in the first place." He spoke with utmost determination as he began to float upwards._

_Her eyes widened when Valerie realized exactly what he meant. "Dan, no. We have to free Jazz and then get out before Pariah realizes what's going on!"_

" _I'm not leaving until I face him head on. I can do it this time. Then once he's gone," he smiled a very sinister grin, "we can continue our game of cat and mouse. Just like it was before he interrupted us in the Wastelands."_

_Valerie shook her head, in denial that some of her worst fears were coming to fruition. "No, Dan, don't do it. I need your help here," she begged. Here she was thinking they had developed even some semblance of a friendly connection during their brief stint to find Jazz. Guess she was wrong; how could she expect that he would change so quickly?_

" _Until next time, Valerie." He glanced once to the frightened gaze of his sister before he disappeared from view._

* * *

 As Frostbite was beginning to administer emergency treatment, Dan finally materialized into the room. Immediately, Valerie turned to him, and with a snarl she grabbed the front of his jumpsuit. "You! This is all your fault! How could you just run off like that! You completely blew the whole plan _, everything_!"

"I told you!" Dan grabbed her hands and tried to pry them from his collar, but the Huntress held fast. "I went to fight Pariah Dark! I wasn't going to sneak in and out of his castle like a  _coward_ or a  _weakling_!"

"It wasn't cowardice  _or_  weakness that had us doing that! It was intelligence and necessity, clearly! You didn't win last time, and you didn't win this time! So what did you achieve, Phantom? What did you gain?" Tears of frustration and anxiety burned her teal eyes as she pushed the ghost away and watched as he stumbled to remain balanced. He was silent in the face of her question. "Nothing? That's what I thought."

Valerie turned her back on him to focus her attention back on Frostbite. "What can I do to help?"

The snow beast hummed in thought for a moment. "The wound is deep, and I am not sure if I can make up for it with my own energy. Nothing is certain at this moment. We need some way to start up the healing factor on its own."

His explanation sparked a memory in Valerie's mind as she turned to Dan.

* * *

  _(Dan)_

_Flying through the halls, Dan no longer made an effort to hide his signature. He'd already passed several low-class skeletons, but they didn't require more than one ghost ray before they exploded into a shower of bones._

" _Stop hiding, Pariah! The fox is already inside the hen house! It's pointless to cower any more!" he called into the empty hallways, his voice echoing off the walls. Laughing maniacally, he continued to fly through the halls searching for his prey._

_Turning a corner, Dan spotted a set of double doors. Grinning, he put both fists out and rammed the barrier. The doors blew inward as the wood shattered into splinters. Landing harshly on the marble floor, he made a crater in the stone that cracked outwards like a spider's web._

_A quick glance around revealed it to be the throne room, and in the corner, just behind the throne was an object Dan never expected to see again._

_The Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep._

_Surprisingly, it was still whole. Why Pariah had not destroyed it already was mystery. Surely he would completely eradicate it from this world after having been trapped in it not once, but twice. Or maybe he still had a use for it. Maybe he meant to trap Dan inside as rightful punishment for doing the same to him only a few years prior._

_A cold shiver went down his spine at that thought._

_Or maybe Pariah_ _**couldn't** _ _destroy it. Dan liked that thought much better._

" _Puny weakling, you dare intrude in my palace?" the booming voice of Pariah Dark echoed throughout the room._

_Phantom was immediately lit a heatless flame in the palm of his hand. "You need to tighten your security, Dark. It was all too easy for me to sneak in undetected!" he called out while he waited for the ghost in question to show himself._

_There was a harsh guffaw from the shadows. "Do not make me laugh, boy! You only got as far as you did because I let you!" Pariah Dark's fifty-foot-tall frame slowly materialized from the smoke in the room created by the torches lighting the walls. "Kidnapping your sister was only a means to an end. She did exactly what I wanted her to."_

" _And what was that?"_

" _To bring you here to me so that I might cleanse the earth of you." His entire form lit with green fire as a sword wreathed in the same white fire as Dan held materialized in his monstrous hand. "The Ghost Zone and the Human Realm are mine, and mine alone, boy! This castle will be your grave!"_

" _I beat you once. I'll do it again, Dark!"_

_And with a ferocious battle cry, Dan leapt at his enemy._

* * *

 "Dan, you can use your healing factor on her," Valerie said quickly as she stared at the flame-haired ghost in question.

"And why would I do that?" he snarled back.

"You healed me on the way to Pariah's castle; you can do the same for Jazz!" Her voice was stronger this time as she took a step towards the defensive Dan.

"Again, why would I do that? I didn't ask her to do what she did!"

"Fucking Christ Phantom, can't you just put your goddamn arrogance aside for one moment and care about someone other than yourself for once!" Valerie lost it, teal eyes lit with fire. "You owe her your  _afterlife!_ The only reason you're still standing here is because you owe it to everyone in this room! You spend every waking minute bragging about how powerful you are, but yet you'd be  _gone_ if it weren't for all of us saving your ass three times over!"

She poked his chest hard. "Everything about this is  _your_  fault! If you had just stuck to the plan, we wouldn't even be in this mess! In fact, the only reason I'm not attacking you right now is because you might be the only one who can save her." She raged, watching with satisfaction as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Her jumping in the way was not my fault. It was her own choice. I had nothing to do with it. Throwing blame around like that isn't going to help anybody!" Dan retorted, crossing his arms.

That did it.

Valerie's suit formed up her arms, death in her eyes. Then before he had a chance to react, with all her might she slugged him right in the gut.

He doubled over in pain as the air rushed from his lungs. Then he collapsed harshly to the ground when she hammer-fisted his exposed back. With him prone and still struggling to breathe, she grasped the back of his cape and dragged him over to the bedside.

"I don't think you understand the situation, Phantom." The Huntress hauled him up so he could look directly at the bloody mess that was before him. The sheets below the ectoplasmic form had already become sodden from the blood flowing steadily from the gaping gash in the ghost's chest. "You will save Jazz, or I will kill  _you_  right here, right now."

* * *

  _(Valerie)_

" _Just stay behind me, Jazz. We'll get out of this, I promise," Valerie reassured the frightened young ghost behind her. Skeleton guards had cornered them in a hallway, and the Huntress was valiantly fighting them off. Her trusty blaster fired round after round into the skulls of every boney body that approached them. They seemed nearly endless. For every one she shot, two took its place. "Dammit, I'm not getting anywhere! Jazz brace yourself, things are about to get ugly!"_

_She grabbed a grenade from her belt and tossed it into the crowd of skeletons. It exploded, sending bits of bone and armor in all directions. The force from the blast nearly knocked Valerie over but she was just barely able to hold her ground._

" _Okay, let's go. The sewer we used to sneak in was over this way!" The Huntress began to lead the way out until she felt a ghostly hand grab her arm._

" _I can't leave Danny behind. Not here. He doesn't understand what Pariah Dark is capable of!"_

_Valerie felt betrayed for the second time that day. "I know he doesn't, that's why we have to leave now before he finds us! The last thing I want to do is get in between him and Phantom again."_

" _Then we're leaving my brother to_ _ **die**_ , _Valerie. I know he would leave me behind to save himself, but I can't do the same. I'm sorry. I'm going to look for him." Her blue eyes were so sincere in their love for her little brother who was long gone, the human woman didn't have the heart to refuse to help._

" _Fine, it goes against my better judgement, but I don't know what you hope to do. And these minions of his are almost too much for me because of the sheer number of them alone." Speaking of the minions, more were beginning to show up. "So if we're going, we'd better go now, or we'll be stuck here."_

" _This way!" Jazz called as she turned and began to fly up the nearest set of stairs. Valerie followed, taking out as many skeleton minions as she could. Speed was of the essence. She hoped Jazz knew where she was going, but considering ghosts could track each other based on signatures, she had little doubt in the young ghost's sense of direction._

_As they came closer to the surface, sounds of an intense battle could be heard. Dust fell from the ceilings from the force of the fight. Shouting became audible as well as maniacal laughter. Valerie wasn't sure if recognizing Phantom's laugh was comforting or not._

_Coming up the final flight of stairs, they were greeted with the sight of a destroyed door that looked like it had been hit by an explosion. From what she could see of the room beyond it, however, it wasn't fairing much better._

_Shapes blurred, and attacks devastated the area. Whatever decoration and ornamentation had been part of the once grand throne room, only rubble remained._

_Carefully approaching the door, both human and ghost were able to witness a black and white blur crash into the ground, creating a deep crater around its form. Jazz gasped and brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Both of them knew who that had been._

" _ **Pathetic**_ _boy, you aren't even worthy of standing in my presence, let alone taking up my mantle of world domination!" the fifty-foot tall form of Pariah Dark taunted. He reached deep into the rubble and from it pulled a badly beaten Dan Phantom. Throwing his limp form up into the air, the green-haired ghost delivered a devastating blow that sent the Ravager of Worlds careening into the wall. It crumbled as he fell to the floor, where he struggled to stand._

" _Once I get rid of you, the Red Huntress will be next, closely followed by the rest of that infestation known as Amity Park." Valerie could only stare in horror. There was no way she would win that fight against him. Once he set his sights on her, she would be as good as dead._

_Fear paralyzed her as Pariah walked over to the prone form of Dan, who looked too dazed to do more than stare uncomprehendingly at the enormous being before him._

_Holding a hand above his head, Dark summoned a blade wreathed in white flames. "This is the end, Danny Phantom. You've played conqueror long enough. Now it is time for the true king to take control."_

" _NO!" Jazz cried before she blurred into motion._

_Valerie could only watch as the blade came down, and ectoplasmic blood erupted._

* * *

 " _You_  kill  _me_ , Valerie? Just like that?" Dan chuckled sardonically. "I'm half-tempted to dare you."

" _I dare you to dare me_.." She pointed to Jazz, who looked even paler than she was a moment ago. "Your sister is dying because of you, and you're the only one here who has the power to save her!" It was in that moment Valerie realized she was crying. "Please, Dan. I've saved your life twice, and Jazz has saved it too. The least you can do is try to repay those debts."

Her desperation had reached its breaking point as her throat closed, and she choked on what little air she could coax through it. "Dammit, put your pride aside for  _once_  in your fucking goddamn afterlife!" Valerie exclaimed, distraught as Frostbite gently put a hand on her shoulder and slowly pulled her away from the bed. Reminded of his presence, she turned to the snow beast. "And Frostbite! Why aren't you helping? Can't you do anything to help her?"

His yellow eyes were solemn as he shook his head sadly from side to side. "I'm afraid not, Valerie. Jazz is beyond my capabilities. She is in fate's hands now." Valerie fisted her hands in his thick fur. "I'm sorry, my dear."

"No, no, there has to be something!" she cried, desperate as she turned to face the quickly fading Jazz and Dan, who had yet to move.

A fourth presence entered the room and soundlessly approached the scene. Karma stepped up behind Dan, her shifting hair seeming to move more rapidly, akin to fire as opposed to water.

"Frostbite, would you take Valerie back to her room? She is clearly distraught, and there is nothing more she can do here." Karma spoke calmly, but her hair gave away her true ire beneath her calm façade.

"No, no, I want to stay!" the young Huntress cried and fought against the restraining hold of her furry captor.

"It will be better if you leave, Valerie. I will take it from here."

The red woman raised a hand, and a sensation of vertigo overcame Valerie for a brief moment before darkness swallowed her.

* * *

 (Dan)

As Frostbite carried the unconscious woman from the room, Karma turned her attention to the ghost still kneeling beside the fading form of his sister.

"Dan, you know you can save her. Why do you refuse?" the red ghost posed calmly, even as her hair flickered angrily down her back.

"None of your damn business, that's why." He retorted, more out of spite than genuine anger. Karma remained silent while the life force continued to drain from Jazz's ghostly form.

"I know that deep down you still care for your sister. I saw it in you after you first discovered she was a ghost. How can you now sit back and watch as she dies from a wound she took protecting you?"

"I  _told you_ ," he hissed, "it's  _none of your damn business."_

"Ah, I see now. You are afraid."

Dan whirled around to face her, eyes glowing. "I am  _not_  afraid. I am the Ravager of Worlds. I fear nothing."

"Then what stays your hand?" The air around her suddenly grew hot as her hair flamed above her head, and her pupil-less eyes glowed into a blinding white. "Is it your pride, Dan Phantom? Your stubbornness to defy everything that doesn't stem from your own desires? Or is it your selfishness to never do anything you don't see as immediately beneficial to yourself?" Her voice had taken on an other-worldly tone, as if many voices were talking through her.

"There is nothing beneficial about keeping alive a weakness!" Dan yelled back.

At his response, Karma's eyes widened in shock as her hair floated back down to settle around her shoulders, flowing smoothly. "Is that what you think, family is a weakness?"

His voice was halted. "Yes."

"Then tell me, Dan. Why is it you have not managed to defeat Valerie then?" she posed. "Clearly you should be stronger—she has the weakness of family, of Amity Park. So why is it she is still alive, and your hometown still out of your grasp?" The male ghost was silent as he struggled to find an answer. "Have you ever thought, Dan, that you fight harder and stronger when you have something to protect rather than conquer?"

She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned him back around to face Jazz. She was nearly transparent, the only thing physical left of her were the blood stains on the bed. "It's not too late. You can still save her. I think that you will find that once you have something to protect, you will finally find the strength to defeat Pariah. And maybe, the last of your own demons as well." Karma stepped away at that moment towards the door. "The choice is yours Dan. I leave everything in your hands."

* * *

  _(Valerie)_

_Valerie stared in horror as the tiny form of Jazz crumpled to the ground, limp as a ragdoll._

_Pariah seemed unnaturally surprised by her intervention._

" _JAZZ!" screamed the Huntress as she disregarded her own safety and ran to where the young ghost had fallen, a spray of green blood decorating the stone around her as well as an equally horrified Dan._

" _It seems Fate favors me today. Both my enemies in the same place at the same time. Two birds, one stone." Pariah turned his red eyed stare to her. Valerie felt her heart stop in her chest as the most primal kind of fear overtook her body. She was helpless to move._

_Once again, he raised the flaming sword above his head. There was a distant cry of what sounded like her name, but the blood rushing through her head drowned out almost all sound. As the blade descended, scenes began to flash before her eyes—young childhood, early preteens, beginning of adulthood, all the way up to the present. This was it. She was going to die here and now._

_A prismatic, geometric barrier suddenly formed itself in front of her. The sword sang as it reflected off the impenetrable shield._

" _You will not harm them this day, Pariah, as Fate does not choose sides," the red haired ghost walked forward, her hair streaming above her in a fiery mass and eyes glowing white. She smirked revealing extended sharp canines. "Unfortunately for you, Karma does."_

_Extending an arm, she snapped her fingers as lightning extended from her form to strike the enormous form of Pariah Dark. He bellowed in rage and pain as the same prismatic barrier appeared in a sphere around him, trapping him with no way out._

" _Fly, now!" she ordered and Valerie snapped out of her trance, and once again ran as fast as she could towards where Jazz had fallen._

" _Oh my god," she whispered hoarsely. Jazz's wound was extensive, covering all the way from her left shoulder to her right hip. It bled profusely and was quickly spreading to everything surrounding her._

" _Valerie… I can't breathe…" Jazz choked as blood became trapped in her lungs._

_A blue portal appeared beside them at that moment. "Come this way!" Clockwork urged as he appeared from the swirling depths._

_Not hesitating any further, Valerie gathered Jazz into her arms while a catatonic Dan continued to sit uselessly on the floor. Jazz's cold, wet fingers appeared for a moment on her cheek before Valerie stepped through the portal to safety._

_The furious cry of Pariah Dark following her._

* * *

 Karma sat on the edge of the bed where Dan lay sleeping, exhausted from his tasks.

A dark line marred the green skin, from his right shoulder to left hip. The last remaining evidence of what he'd done. For the first time in years, he had done something unselfish without anything to gain.

Or so she had made him believe.

Smiling like a proud parent, she gracefully stood from the bed. He had done well today, all things considered. How he chose to move forward from this point would prove interesting. After all, diminishing those tattoos she had given him was no easy task, but this had been a good start.

* * *

**Finally Dan can start to have some good character developments!! ;A; I'm so happy.**

**Thanks for reading! Leave me a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	9. Issues- A Fateful Intervention

**I'm back with another chapter! Thanks to theLightningStreak for editing this for me!**

**Enjoy!**

 

* * *

Damon hadn't slept in days. Dark bags were beginning to form underneath his eyes.

Valerie was gone, with the Resistance in chaos and no sign of Dan Phantom. Normally the last one would be a good thing, but the possibility that Phantom had abducted his baby girl, doing God knows what to her, plagued Damon relentlessly.

Leaning over his desk, the man stared unseeing at the numerous reports littering his desk, all detailing the same thing. There was no trace of his daughter, and there were reports of another ghost roaming the wastelands. Nothing was concrete since every time they sent out scouts to find the source, it disappeared as if it were never there in the first place.

Valerie's disappearance was a tightly kept secret that only the scout team and a very select few individuals knew about it. One of which, unfortunately, was Paulina, but so far she had done a fairly good job keeping it under wraps. The official story was that Valerie was on a long-term, secret mission away to another continent to see if she could find any other civilizations. They sent the scout team to search for her under the guise of scavenging for materials that Valerie would sometimes bring back.

The matter of Phantom's disappearance, however, was more difficult. It had already been a couple days, and there was no sign of him. Usually, there had been at least one attempt at destroying the Shield by this point, and some were starting to become suspicious. Damon was attempting to lie that Phantom had just followed Valerie, but it was believable for only so long. Who would have guessed that Dan Phantom being gone would be such a nuisance?

The lights in his office flickered strangely for a moment before a slight wind picked up, and a blue portal opened in front of him. From it emerged a blue and purple ghost Damon had never seen before. Eyes widening in horror, he immediately reached for the blaster in his desk. A ghost had managed to get through the Shield.

"That will not be necessary, Damon Gray. I come in peace," the mysterious being spoke calmly as the ticking of the clock on his wall became silent. Disregarding the ghost's warning, the Resistance leader grabbed the gun anyways and levelled the barrel in its direction.

"I don't care why you're here,  _ghost,_  only that you're going to tell me how you got through the Shield and how you know my name." He watched as the blue being smirked amusedly.

"You are without a doubt her father." An amethyst colored glove brought forth a rolled piece of parchment from his cloak.

"Whose father?" Then realization hit him like a brick wall. "What have you done with Valerie, ghost?! Answer me now, or you're going to find out these bullets were made for your kind!"

"You have nothing to fear from me. The integrity of your Ghost Shield has not been compromised. Such barriers simply do not hinder me." He offered the piece of paper to the shaking man like a peace offering. "Valerie asked me to give you this."

"Open it and read it."

The blue ghost seemed to sigh as he let go of his staff that held a clock on one end to open the letter. "I can neither read this script nor recite it from memory." Turning the piece of paper around, it revealed a coded message. The hand writing was undoubtedly Valerie's, and it was written in the cipher they had created together for such purposes as this.

"Where is my daughter? What are you doing to her?" the father demanded, a lead weight sinking into his stomach.

"Valerie is safe. You will feel better after you read her note." The ghost spoke with such certainty, a cold chill ran down Damon's spine. "Many things have changed since you last saw your daughter. I shall take my leave now." The Resistance leader was not satisfied by the ghost's vague explanations as he set the paper onto his desk. "Do not fear, Damon Gray. You will see your daughter again. On that, you have my word as the Master of Time."

With that, another blue portal opened and before Damon could do more than stare, the mysterious ghost made his exit.

The clock on the wall resumed ticking.

The man was left in an awestruck silence, wondering if any of that had actually happened. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that no time had passed at all. Had he hallucinated the ghost in his office? No sensors had been triggered despite their placement all around this area. In fact, the only evidence that suggested he'd had a visit at all was the semi rolled parchment still laying on his desk.

Placing the gun down, he spread open the letter. Sure enough it was still from Valerie. As his one good eye scanned the page, it widened in horror. "This can't be.  _Pariah Dark_  has returned." A new sense of urgency filled his body as he hurried around his desk and out the door. He had to get news of this to Paulina as soon as possible. They needed the new prototype up and running yesterday.

* * *

(Valerie)

"We're going to be doing  _what_?" Valerie asked stupefied as she stared at the mischievously grinning Karma. Dan stood beside her, arms crossed but no less stunned.

He had forgone his usual jumpsuit and was instead clothed in a back sleeveless shirt and gray sweat pants, very similar to his female counterpart in a black tank top and gray workout leggings.

"You have got to be joking," he deadpanned and absent-mindedly rubbed a tattooed shoulder, where a dark green line still persisted from the aftermath of their return from Pariah's castle. Valerie noticed the movement and flicked her gaze to him. His red eyes met her own. Turning her gaze back towards the red haired ghost, she took a step away from Dan. He was still too close for comfort, not that it was going to matter in a few minutes. They were going to be getting very close with each other if Karma had her way.

"You heard me. After the fiasco that was the infiltration of Pariah's castle, it is clear that you two need to work on your communication and how to work together. These exercises will help with that." Valerie stared unimpressed at her. "Now let's get started, shall we? Dan, lie down on your back."

"Why am I the bitch again?" he complained, and Valerie had to fight a smile. Karma, however, did nothing and grinned widely.

"Because Valerie is not strong enough to lift you. It only makes sense that the heavier of you two is on the bottom." The female ghost gestured to the mat that had been provided for them. Scoffing and clearly unhappy with the situation, Dan made his way over to the mat, and like instructed, lay down on his back.

"Now, Valerie, come and stand with your feet on either side of Dan's head." Hesitantly, the Huntress did as was instructed and placed her feet on opposite sides of her arch enemy's head. She was careful to avoid his flickering hair, otherwise she'd never hear the end of his complaining. "Now Dan, bring your legs straight up above your chest and grab Valerie's ankles firmly. Valerie, do the same to Dan."

"What are we doing?" Valerie asked as she felt two hands appear on her legs. She didn't like this. Not one bit. Alarm lights and sirens were going off like crazy in her head, even as she did as she was told and leaned forwards slightly to reach them.

"I call this The Machine," Karma answered cryptically. "Now, Dan bring your legs back into a kneeling position as Valerie does the same, balancing on your legs and hands."

With a grunt of effort, he did as she asked. As the Huntress was lifted above him, she suddenly experienced a feeling of weightlessness, and it was at this moment she realized just how much trust she was putting in Dan not to drop her.

"Very good. Now move as if you're going to crawl," Karma instructed, and everything fell to shit.

Valerie squeaked in surprise when Dan's leg gave out beneath her, and she fell to land squarely between his legs. He wheezed in pain, releasing her ankle and rolling to the side. She tumbled off of him as he moved to grab his crotch and curl into a ball. "God fucking dammit," the Ravager of Worlds ground out between clenched teeth.

"Sorry?" the Huntress apologized, unsure of herself and biting back a smile.

Karma was much the same as she watched his misery without lifting a finger to help. "Once Dan has collected the remains of his broken marbles, try again." Valerie had to fight back laughter this time.

"Fuck you," Dan was not amused.

"Now come on, we don't have all day. There is a schedule to keep." Karma encouraged the young man still rolling on the floor. Valerie looked towards the red ghost, face twisted with confused concern. The Huntress received a mischievous smile and a wink in return.

"Damn slave driver…" the male ghost mumbled under his breath as he once again assumed his position on his back. He glared down his nose at his partner. "Well? What are you waiting for? May as well get this over with as soon as possible. Maybe if I get hit enough within a short period of time, my  _marbles_  will become immune."

Oh god, when he put it like that, she really  _had_  touched him there. Suddenly, Valerie felt rather defiled and dirty. She most definitely didn't want to try whatever this was again. Yet, she found herself with her feet once again on either side of his head with his cold hands wrapped around her ankles.

While she would never admit it out loud, Dan did have a point. Getting this torture over and done with quickly would be best. Like ripping off a band aid. Taking hold of his ankles as well, Valerie once again found herself suspended above her arch enemy.

"If there's one good thing about this position, it's the great view of your ass," Dan quipped tensely, the strain from holding her up clearly taking its toll.

Valerie scoffed. "You pervert! Of  _course_  that's what you're doing back there!" She sighed heavily knowing there was nothing she could do about it. "Looking is free, it's touching that will cost you."

"Cost me  _what_  exactly?"

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes. "I was thinking an arm and a leg, literally."

Dan laughed harshly. "That's it? I was expecting something more like being turned into a human-dog hybrid or also having to give you my younger brother, hypothetically if I had one."

"I thought I'd be more original," the Ghost Slayer grinned, "since you're already my bitch."

There was a near silent snarl from behind her a moment before one of his legs extended too far and she lost what little balance she had and fell to the side. Landing heavily on her side, Valerie winced. "What the hell?"

"Oops, my bad," he apologized with anything but sorrow.

"Oops, my ass! That was  _anything_ but an accident!"

"I got tired, what can I say?" Dan lifted his hands into the air in what was supposed to be a gesture of innocence, but the ghost in question was anything but.

"Bullshit," Valerie retorted as she sat up. "I've seen you lift tanks over your head! There's no way I weigh more than a  _tank_!"

The flame-haired ghost sat up and put an arm on his knee, a smirk threatened to lift the corner of his mouth. "Well, I wasn't wanting to say anything, but…"

The implication hung in the air between them.

After a moment, Valerie scowled and half-heartedly smacked him across the shoulder. "You ass."

"Being the first one to strike a blow? That isn't like you, Valerie. Of course anything I do now could be considered self defense." A deeper more threatening tone had taken over his voice. "Don't start what you can't finish, Huntress."

"You say that like I won't fight back, Phantom, but I can assure you, it's the exact opposite." The young woman could see Karma take a step forwards to stop anything, only to be interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"So this is what you've been up to, Karma?"

Valerie turned to see an unfamiliar ghost leaning against the doorframe, white Mohawk covering one eye as her white pupiless, irisless gaze bored into her. Pushing off of the frame, the unfamiliar ghost sauntered her way up, her half-skirt made out of belts swishing around her calves. " _Babysitting_ ," she spat. Sitting on the floor, Valerie was practically eye-level with the chiselled abs the new comer displayed proudly in a black crop top.

"Fate. How good it is to see you again. What brings you here?" the red ghost replied cordially as both Valerie and Dan got to their feet prepared to fight if necessary. This newcomer didn't exactly look friendly with that scowl on her face.

"I have a few bones to pick with Clockwork." She glared harshly at both the green ghost and the young woman. "It seems he is messing with my time stream again." With that, the blue ghost turned and stalked her way back out, heels clicking loudly on the marble floors. "Well, have fun with these two. Just know that everything you do is in vain." The newcomer grinned cruelly over her shoulder, "Their  _fates_  have already been decided."

"Who peed in her corn flakes?" Valerie asked after the ghost had left the vicinity. Something about her had seemed off, and a cold shiver wracked her spine as a result.

Karma snorted in amusement. "Don't mind her, my sister has always been rather…short tempered. Especially when it comes to The Master of Time and his  _meddling_."

"More like bitchy…" Dan mumbled, and Valerie once again smacked him.

"Alright that's enough. Back to the Machine, I want to see you both mastering it by the end of the day."

Human and ghost groaned their misery.

* * *

Several hours and many, many failed attempts later, they finally managed to get it to work successfully. But by that point, they were both sweating profusely and breathing heavily.

"Not quite what I would call 'mastery,' but I suppose it's close enough for now. Take a break for lunch, after that the real work begins," Karma announced as she left them to wallow in misery where they both lay side by side on the floor.

"That wasn't—the real work?" gasped Valerie, voice hoarse and betraying the small bit of apprehension she found in whatever was going to happen later today.

"Fucking hell…" Dan moaned to her left.

"I almost preferred— when you were the enemy… at least then— I knew what to expect." The male ghost turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She met his surprised gaze with a hardened one of her own. " _Almost_. Don't think I've forgotten the knife incident or any of your other crimes."

She pulled herself up to a sitting position with a groan of pain before getting to her feet and following Karma out of the room. Her whole body was sore and stiff already. It had been too long since she'd had a real workout to push her muscles. The injuries she'd sustained up until this point had kept her from her usual routine.

"I feel flattered you would think that of me, dear Valerie," he murmured into the silence around them as he floated up by her shoulder, leering at her lazily.

"Whatever Phantom, don't put too much stock in it. I'll still be the one to end you after this is all over." The Huntress turned to glare at him, "So don't get your hopes up that you're in any way in my good graces."

He grinned wider, revealing a fang. "We'll see about that  _Ghost Slayer_."

* * *

(Clockwork)

The Master of Time was busy keeping an eye on the aftermath of the failed invasion of Pariah's castle. It was mayhem. The former ghost king was destroying relics and minions alike for the slip in security that allowed the two to not only sneak in undetected and unnoticed for who-knows-how-long but then subsequently escape with their lives.

Pariah Dark also had ordered his servants to search for the whereabouts of Clockwork's castle, but if nothing else, the time ghost knew that would be a fruitless search. There was no one who could access his castle without his permission or assistance. Not even Pariah Dark. Fingering the time medallion that Jazz had taken, he put it back on the wall with the others. That had been a loose end he had been forced to tie up himself. It wouldn't have been good at all if the ghost king's forces had used that to open a pathway to his home.

A sudden change in the atmosphere was the split second warning he had before the Master of Time was forced to block a powerful kick from a familiar white-haired ghost.

"Clockwork! You've been messing with my time stream again! When will you learn to keep your stopwatch fingers out of my business?!" Fate snarled, furious as her eyes glowed a blinding white.

"I make adjustments for the greater good where it is necessary," the Time Ghost replied tiredly. This was an argument they had had many times in the past and were doomed to repeat for all eternity as long as he kept interfering with her choices of the future.

"Greater good, my ass! I know you have your own little hidden agenda!" Fate spat as she aimed another kick towards his scepter. It connected full force and sent it flying end over end to the opposite side of the room. Immediately, she opened a portal in the midst of its path and caught it in one hand. "Now that your little time stick is out of you hands, why don't you tell me what you're doing with Dan Phantom and Valerie Gray? You think this is some cute little match-making game? Or are you really so attached to the little boy that used to be Danny Fenton that you can't see what I'm doing?" Fate demanded as she idly played with his staff, swinging it around carelessly and tapping it against her leg.

She continued before he could speak. "Several years ago, you were tasked with the job of taking out the threat that was Dan Phantom before he became too big of a threat. You failed to do so. Now that task falls to me, and here I thought I came up with the perfect solution, the coup de grace to end him. Bring back an old enemy that he never truly defeated in the past, let the Ravager of Worlds go out with a bang, and then the human realm and Ghost Zone would once again have peace." She grit her teeth as fangs extended from her gums. "And then what happens, but  _you_  interfere and bring not only Dan Phantom but  _Valerie Gray_ out of the timeline I had prepared and start  _training_  them to  _work together_."

Clockwork sighed heavily as he aged upwards into an old man. "Fate, you cannot understand what bringing back Pariah Dark would do without someone to stop him. History would be repeating itself, and neither the Ghost Zone nor the human realm would have remained safe. He would never rest again until  _everything_  was once again under his rule."

"Then I would have dealt with it when and  _if_  it came to pass. After all, Valerie would have been left alive, of that I made sure." She crossed her arms and stared down her nose at the Master of Time. "Don't think I don't know about your lie about the Ghost Shield around Amity Park not being strong enough to withstand Pariah Dark's power."

Clockwork squared his aged shoulders. "It was necessary at the time. Dan was fading fast and they would have never let him inside the Shield. Plus," he narrowed his red eyes, "your plan to defeat Pariah with only Valerie would not have worked. She would have perished fighting him in a horribly one-sided fight, and everything would go back to how it was before he was sealed in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep the first time. The Ghost Council would then have had to take action once again to fix the mistake you would have made."

He could see her temper slowly begin to cool as her eyes stopped glowing and her fangs retracted slightly. "Now do you see why I acted when I did? This is not to satisfy my own desires or my own agenda. It never is. What I do is for the greater good of everything and everyone, which includes you, whether you like it or not Fate." The possibility of Dan Phantom and Valerie Gray becoming close in the process was simply an added bonus, he thought to himself.

Fate lifted a lip in irritation. "Whatever you say, Time Mister." And she tossed his scepter back to him, which he caught with ease as he aged down to a toddler. "Although as much as it would please me, giving you hell about messing in my time stream again isn't the only reason I'm here."

"I'm listening."

"As I'm sure you're aware, the Observants are breathing down my neck to do something about Pariah Dark," Fate explained, and Clockwork nodded sagely. He understood all too well about how persistent the one-eyed watchers could be. "They are talking about calling a Council meeting."

Once again, the Master of Time sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face.

"You know what that means."

"I do."

"For your sake, I hope the Red Huntress and the Ravager of Worlds can play nice by that point."

* * *

(Valerie)

Later that afternoon after having a simple lunch of toasted sandwiches, Valerie and Dan returned to the sparring room. Karma, as expected, awaited them. Although a cold shiver went down her spine when the Huntress noticed that the red ghost was not alone—her sister Fate was talking with her.

The young woman groaned quietly, but of course the ghost beside her immediately picked up on her misery. The bastard must have had a sensor for it or something.

"Valerie, why don't you go get me another sandwich and let the adults talk," he remarked snidely.

The young woman's vision blacked out for a moment as blood rushed to her head. Her body was moving before she could do anything about it. Pulling an arm back, she wound up and aimed the blow directly into his smugly grinning face. " _ **What the fuck did you just say to me?!**_ " Valerie roared as her fist passed harmlessly through him.

He laughed mockingly as he floated out of her reach. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to touch me, my dear."

"The only way I'm going to be touching you, is my foot so far up your ass you'll be eating shoe laces for a week!" Valerie retorted hotly and went to continue her assault only to be interrupted by Karma.

"Enough. You both waste time and energy. Did you learn nothing from this morning?" the red ghost asked as her hair flickered angrily down her back. Fate stood with her arms crossed and the barest hint of a smile at the edge of her mouth.

Both human and ghost glared.

"Very well, since you seem so eager to fight, we shall waste no time with the lesson." Karma instructed before turning to her sister. "Fate has been generous enough to grant her assistance today. No weapons or ghost powers will be permitted. This is all about learning how to fight without leaning on those as crutches."

"What? That's ridiculous! I will always have my powers; it doesn't make any sense for me to not use them!" Dan argued as he landed back on the solid ground. Valerie took advantage of his distraction to deliver a blow to his solar plexus, knocking the wind from him.

Karma smiled proudly.

"Gross, you breathe? What, do you have an inflation kink or something?" Fate piped up, a dangerous smirk pulling the corner of her mouth upwards as Dan continued to wheeze. Valerie sputtered a laugh and immediately covered her mouth.

"Fuck you…" Dan rasped and before either of them had even the hope of reacting, Fate round-house kicked the side of his head sending him careening into the wall.

"Lesson number one: Pariah won't wait until you're ready. You have to be prepared at all times," she spoke with a dead certainty.

Valerie could only stare in horror as Phantom pulled himself from the rubble surrounding him. She had been so fast; the human woman had barely seen the blow connect.

"Don't destroy him, Fate, we need his help, remember?" the red ghost spoke up with concern towards the Ravager of Worlds.

Fate waved off Karma. "I won't, I'm just going to have a little fun first." With that final warning, she interlocked her fingers and cracked her knuckles all at once. "Alright, nap time's over, bitch! Now you're gonna fight me, and don't think for a second I'll be going easy on you."

Dan snarled as a white fire began to surround him, and Fate smiled cruelly. Jumping, she created a portal beneath her feet before falling through it and disappearing. The flame-haired ghost frowned, confused, before she landed on his back, instantly capturing him in a deadly headlock. "No powers, remember, little conqueror?"

"You're using powers, what the fuck? That's not fair," he rasped, voice garbled by the arm around his windpipe and his face being pressed into the ground.

"Lesson number two: I don't follow the rules, I  _make_  them," she retorted before rolling off of him while at the same time grabbing his arm and roughly throwing him back into the first crater in the wall. "Lesson number three: Life's not fair, and neither am I. Suck it up, big boy."

Growling, Phantom launched himself headlong into the battle, fists raised. Fate smirked and easily batted away each of his attacks. Valerie could only watch in horror at how it appeared she was putting in hardly any effort for it. A cold presence at her side alerted her to the appearance of Karma. The young woman swallowed thickly. Was a beat down like that going to happen to her?

The red ghost smiled good naturedly. "I believe it would be more beneficial to watch and learn from another's mistakes, don't you agree, Valerie?"

She breathed a shaky sigh of relief and turned back to face the incredibly one-sided fight going on in front of them. Unable to use his ghost powers, Dan was outmatched and Fate was not pulling any punches with him. Again and again, the male ghost was thrown into the wall, or the floor and even once the ceiling, only to fall unceremoniously to the ground. All the while, he endured taunts from his opponent. Valerie couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu watching the scene before her. How many times had Dan done that to her? It was just like…

She turned to the ghost beside her still grinning quietly.

…Karma.

"You planned for this didn't you?" Valerie asked, wary and a little more than skeptical at the ghost's intentions.

Karma shrugged. "I may have. It ended up being the best solution for everyone. Fate needs to let off some steam, and Dan needs to learn how to fight without relying on his powers." She smirked a bit wider, her grin becoming more lopsided. "If he happens to learn that the hard way while also working off his karmic debt, then that is how it shall be."

"Come on, little Phantom, is that truly the best you can do?" Fate called mockingly as she proceeded to juggle him in the air with multiple clones and portals opening and closing at just the right moments. "No wonder the remnants of the Ghost King defeated you so easily!" she laughed cruelly.

"You want the best? I'll show you!" Dan roared and with that, he was wreathed in white flames. He used his intangibility and flight to avoid her attacks mid-air. A ghost ray fired from his palm, disintegrating the majority of her clones as a grin stretched across his face. It looked like he was turning the tides of the fight.

"Lesson number four: You don't break the rules if you don't want the rules to break  _you_ ," Fate called as she fell into a portal and once again reappeared above him. She delivered a kick directly to his back that sent him hurtling down towards the ground at an alarming speed. Valerie braced for his impact, but it never came as a portal opened in the floor, and instead he was once again launched into the ceiling.

It crumbled around his body, and Dan hung there for a moment, nearly unconscious as he coughed up blood. Then the ruined plaster gave way, and he fell down to the floor to land in a groaning heap. Valerie winced and almost— _almost_ —felt bad for him.

"Well, as much as I would like to stay and gloat my victory, I need to get back to work. I left some clones in my place, but Irony has been having fun pulling the strings lately." Fate turned back to look at the ghost who still had yet to move from his spot. "Good luck with that one, he's more stubborn than I thought," she grinned wryly, "which is saying something considering I made him."

Valerie stared in horror at the white-haired ghost, but could not find the words to speak her shock.

"You will be taking your leave then, Fate?"

"Yup, have fun with your babysitting, and make sure to give Clockwork hell for me."

"Always." Karma smiled and with that, Fate opened a portal different from the ones she used in battle and stepped through it to disappear into the swirling abyss. It closed behind her with a pop.

"She…  _created_  Dan? What does she mean by that? I thought Plasmius had something to do with it?" Valerie stuttered, disturbed.

Karma turned to gaze at her, concern seeping from her red eyes. "Valerie, just as I am the physical embodiment of Karma, so Fate is the physical embodiment of Fate. She is also commonly called Destiny, and she is the one who chooses which events come to pass and which do not." The red ghost sighed sadly. "She was the one who chose the present you live in, who made Dan's creation possible."

"So Clockwork… wasn't behind that…? It was…  _your sister_?" Valerie felt tears come to her eyes as all the worst scenes flashed before her eyes. "So everything from Dan destroying the world, to personally torturing me, you're saying that was all  _orchestrated_? That someone  _chose it_  out of the infinite number of possibilities to happen…" Her entire world seemed to be collapsing in on itself. Everything she thought she knew, she questioned. Had Fate chosen this too?

"Valerie, stop. Going down this path will only do harm." The red ghost pulled her into a comforting hug which the Huntress only accepted because she was too deep in shock to resist. "Fate is responsible for many things, but not everything is under her control. Sometimes things happen that she has no control over. You learning to work together with Dan against Pariah is something that she did not anticipate." She chuckled quietly. "No doubt that is what she came to give Clockwork hell for. She absolutely loathes when he interferes with her choices."

"If you two are done with your 'moment,' I believe  _I'm_ the one who just received a vicious beating," Dan gasped as he pulled himself from the rubble that surrounded him. Wincing, he grabbed his side, which had a dark spot forming underneath his shirt.

"That's what you get for telling me to get you a sandwich," Valerie retorted not sympathetic in the slightest.

"You bitch…" he wheezed as he gripped his side tighter.

"Would you like some help, Dan? You  _did_  receive a merciless beating and look rather the worse for wear," Karma offered as she took steps towards the heavily injured ghost.

Phantom hissed and took a step away. "No, I don't want your pity. Now leave me alone, I'm going to have a bath and get cleaned up. I'm done for today."

"Dan, it's dangerous for you to take a bath now. You have open wounds."

"That'll change soon enough. Just give me a minute."

With that he dragged himself out of the destroyed sparring room, not looking back even once.

* * *

About an hour later, Valerie entered the extravagant bath. Surely Phantom was long done at this point, even if she hadn't seen him since he disappeared into the bath. Then again, it was likely he was also avoiding her—the fight had been rather embarrassing on his behalf. No doubt his pride was heavily wounded just like the rest of him.

Leaving her clothes in the change room, Valerie wrapped one towel around her body while she carried another over her arm. As expected, the room was steamy with the heat of the water as the waterfall continued to refill the tub with fresh water. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the stress of the day to fall from her tense shoulders as she made her way to the edge of the water.

As she neared the lip of the bath, a form materialized in the fog. Laying against the edge of the water, there was someone. Valerie stopped, fear suddenly locking her body tight.

Dan leaned against the edge, up to his neck in the water as his head rested on the tile behind him. Carefully, the Huntress edged closer, and as she neared the Ravager of Worlds she noticed his eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His face was free of all its usual angry lines, and for the first time she could see the resemblance to Danny. The thought made her uncomfortable. She didn't like thinking of this monster as anything close to human in nature.

Brow furrowing, she made sure the towel was wrapped tightly around her form before she approached him. With her foot, she nudged his shoulder. "Hey, wake up, it's my turn now."

Dan jolted awake and winced when the sudden action pulled on his still-tender wounds. "What?" he demanded, voice still groggy with sleep.

"You've been in here for over an hour, it's my turn now." She informed him and as he turned to face her, she noticed something odd. "You look pale. Have you been bleeding a lot, or something?"

"I'm fine. Don't waste your pity on me, woman." He barked out as he made to leave the water. Lifting his arms to push himself up, something caught wrong, and he snarled with a growl of pain and slipped back into the water.

Sighing, Valerie put down her extra towel and stepped into the water to stand on the ledge he had been sitting on. Reaching down, she grabbed his arm and looped it over her shoulders. The ghost hissed and grabbed his injured side that still appeared to be bleeding sluggishly. "I don't need your help," Dan snapped, but Valerie only rolled her eyes.

"This isn't for you, I just want you out so I can enjoy my bath in peace and quiet. God knows I can't get any of that when you're around."

"The feeling is mutual, my dear." He paused for a moment before she distinctly heard him sniff the air beside her. "You stink."

"No shit Sherlock, that's why I'm  _here_  in the  _bath_ ," she retorted as they stepped onto the tile surrounding the large tub. It was slippery from their wet feet and combined with the awkward weight on her shoulder, and the slick surface, Dan's weak balance was compromised and they both went down in a flail of limbs.

Valerie fell hard onto the unforgiving surface, her shoulder taking the brunt of the fall while Dan landed on top of her, one hand on either side of her head to keep from crushing her. He gasped in pain as his body instinctually tried to curl in on itself. But that was when he realized Valerie was underneath him. His red eyes stared into her teal gaze with the same neutrality that had been present on the way to Pariah's castle. There was a hint of anger, no doubt as a result of falling, the battle with Fate, or a combination of the two, but the insanity was once again gone.

They stayed like that for a moment, Valerie afraid to aggravate him while in so vulnerable a position, but Dan's motivations were unknown. Lifting a lip in irritation, he winced as his back muscles flexed and pulled him up, away from her. Surprised, Valerie sat up and also returned to a standing position.

"Are you alright?" she found herself asking before she could think of otherwise. What surprised her the most was how sincerely she meant her inquiry.

Phantom continued to sneer at her. "No. I'm fine. I always am." Grabbing his own towel, he wrapped it around his waist, Valerie blushed deeply. With the distraction of helping him and then having him fall on her, she had completely forgotten about his state of undress. "Enjoy your bath,  _Huntress._ "

With that final sarcastic sentiment, he turned and laboriously limped away.

* * *

**I realise Jazz is not in this chapter, but fear not! I haven't forgotten her and she will make an appearance in the next chapter I promise!**

**I hope everyone liked Fate, I wasn't planning to introduce her until a couple chapters later, but an opportunity presented itself and I couldn't resist.**

**Leave me a comment if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	10. Savior- The Questions You Still Have

**Alright, I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I hit writer's block and school has been super busy this year! I hope to graduate in the spring and I've been working really hard to achieve that!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

(Clockwork)

"How is she doing, Frostbite?" Clockwork asked as he floated beside the ghost of Jazz Fenton. She lay sleeping peacefully in her bed. She had yet to awaken after Dan had restarted her own ghostly healing factor with his own.

"It has been a slow recovery. Her physical injuries have healed without a single scar, which is remarkable _,_  especially the large wound that had been over her chest. I was sure that a scar would remain, but look—" Frostbite gently pulled up the hem of Jazz's black shirt to reveal smooth skin, "—not a blemish. Even the black markings that were here before have disappeared."

The time ghost's eyes widened slightly. "Black markings…what did they look like?"

"I do believe they greatly resembled the ones that Dan Phantom currently bears," the snow beast answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Clockwork's purple-gloved hand tightened around his scepter.  _Karma,_ his mind hissed. She was one of the few beings his omniscient sight could not always observe. What had she done to Jazz? Anger began to boil hot in his veins. "My apologies Frostbite, something has just come to my attention." With that, the ghost opened a portal and stepped through it.

The snow beast could only watch in mild confusion as the Master of Time made his abrupt exit.

Emerging on the other side, Clockwork found exactly the being he was looking for. Karma sat, one leg crossed over the other on a chair beside a sleeping Dan. "Karma, I need to speak with you.  _Immediately."_  The time ghost was barely able to keep the rage from his voice. It was starting to get more difficult to rein in his quickly fouling temper.

"You are here to speak to me about Jazz are you not, Clockwork?" the red haired woman spoke as she gracefully rose from her chair. Rippling waves of her hair followed her as she turned to face the Master of Time.

"I am. Frostbite said she previously carried black markings on her skin. The same black markings that make up your karmic tattoos." The blue ghost tightened his grip on his staff as the minute hand began to spin wildly on the clock atop his staff. "I demand to know why you thought it fitting to bring Jazz into your punishment of Dan."

"It was at her own request that I do so. She had the tattoos long before her brother," Karma answered plainly.

A red haze began to seep into the edges of his vision, and as he slammed the end of his scepter on the marble floor, the color seeped from the area around him. Only he and Karma were unaffected; he did not want anyone interfering.

"That was not my intention when I brought you before her. You took advantage of my trust, Karma."

"I did what needed to be done. I knew Fate was planning something and you, as always, were waiting for an  _opportune moment_  that was nowhere in sight for anyone but  _you._ " Her rippling hair began to float higher and flicker more quickly, closer to resembling flames now than water. "If Jazz had not volunteered to take on Dan's karmic burden, Valerie would have faded him out long ago and Pariah would have returned with no one strong enough to defeat him."

"Why did you keep this from me?" Clockwork demanded, red eyes glowing with rage.

"Because you have been protective of her since the beginning. She is no longer a child, Clockwork. She may forever have the body of a sixteen-year-old girl, but she has matured past her physical form. Sheltering her from every hardship would have only done more harm than good." Karma spoke calmly but firmly as she solidified her stance in preparation for him to attack.

"She did not need to suffer under Phantom's mistakes for all these years. There is a difference between sheltering and protecting."

"You speak as if I have broken her under the weight of the burden  _she chose_  to carry! Yet you never even  _suspected_  anything drastic had changed in her until Frostbite informed you otherwise." The natural ghostly glow around her form began to brighten along with her emotions. "I agree Clockwork, there is a difference between sheltering and protecting, a line you crossed long ago."

"Do not think to chastise me, Karma Lotòs. Of everything to exist  _including you and your sisters,_   _ **I**_  was the first and I shall also be the last." the Master of Time lost control of the last threads of his temper as his whole being darkened with a black shadow. Purple tendrils of energy began to snake from his form. Distortions appeared in the air around him as his glowing white eyes became the only two points of illumination. " _ **You have betrayed my trust by hiding this from me.**_ " His voice carried with it a cadence that revealed his true, ageless nature, and it vibrated through the air with a heavy bass quality.

"What would you have had me do then, Clockwork?" Karma spread her arms wide, unafraid of his intimidating appearance. " _You_  were the one to tell her that she couldn't help her brother by talking to him directly. The poor girl was desperate to help him somehow. I couldn't have in good conscience turned her away. So I told her of the tattoos."

The shadow around the Master of Time darkened further at her admission, but the red ghost was unfazed.

"I explained how they would work and what the consequences would be, and she agreed nonetheless. I hid this from you because she knew that you would disapprove of her taking the tattoos." Karma explained with a somewhat desperate tone to her voice, "She said it would cause you to worry too much, and that she didn't want to put that on you when you already were responsible for so much."

A beat of silence passed between them before Clockwork sighed. Light began to return to his form. The tendrils faded and the distortions in the air disappeared until once again the Time Ghost was as he should be.

"The fault does not rest entirely with you." Clockwork tightly gripped his staff as his body aged to that of an old man. "I foresaw the possibility of Jazz acquiring the tattoos by your hand but childishly pushed it aside, hoping that if I ignored it, it would not come to pass. It seems as old as I am, I still have much to learn." A wry smirk twisted the corner of his mouth upwards as he hesitantly met the gaze of the other ghost.

Karma smiled gently. "We all do, my friend. But if  _time_  is on our side, the opportunity is not lost."

Clockwork rolled his eyes and dragged a hand down his face.

* * *

(Valerie)

Valerie opened her eyes, and the first thing she noticed was it was dark. The swirling abyss of the Ghost Zone was less nauseating through her window. Immediately, she was on guard. This was Dan's doing without a doubt. A quick glance over her shoulder proved the bed to be empty and upon sitting up, she realized that the room itself was void of any other beings.

Suspicious, she climbed out of bed, but even then everything remained quiet. No sign of Phantom. Where was he?

Softly, she padded over to the doors and cracked one open. Much to her surprise, it did not contain the hallway she thought it would. Instead, it was a swirling green swirling void similar to the Ghost Zone, but different somehow. It was darker for sure, but it also seemed… familiar.

Stepping into the strange landscape, Valerie gazed around with a sense of foreboding. Phantom was hiding here somewhere no doubt waiting to jump her. On guard, she continued forwards into the shifting area.

Images assaulted her; one by one, they flashed by her in a dizzying fashion. Flashes of people she once knew, people she did know and even…  _herself?_  Scenes of her high school life flew in front of her eyes in rapid sequence like old film. It was faded and blurry much like a memory and seemed to carry with it an emotion she could only describe as longing.

Pictures of Jazz when she was human replaced her own image and the rest of the living Fenton family as well. Abruptly, the scene changed to an explosion before heart crushing sadness consumed her. It was a feeling she was very familiar with, but the hopelessness that followed was entirely foreign.

The scene faded to be replaced with a long, empty dinner table. A single plate of food lay in front of the person, and at the far end of the table…was Vlad Masters. Valerie only had time for a brief moment of shock before the scene abruptly ended, and she was torn from her trance-like state.

"It seems even when I make an effort to be alone, I can't seem to escape you," a low baritone drawled. The young woman turned to see Dan sitting forlornly on the floor, arms wrapped around his knees. He was still dressed in the work out outfit he'd been in earlier.

"At least you know how that feels now, especially considering you developed a new power to torture me mentally as well as physically," Valerie retorted, completely unsympathetic as she crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one leg.

The male ghost tsked and avoided her gaze. "What do you want, Valerie?"

"Well, for starters, if you gave up trying to destroy everything you get your hands on, that would be great."

He turned his crimson eyes to meet hers. " _I'm_  the one who's destroying everything?" He laughed harshly, without humor. "I think you need a reality check."

The Huntress assumed a more solid stance as Phantom got to his feet, but once up, he was hardly intimidating. His shoulders drooped slightly, and his head almost seemed to hang forward.

Narrowing her eyes, Valerie could definitely feel something was off. "I'm not the one with the god-complex and extreme narcissism," she retorted, more out of habit than anything, and watched as he snarled back at her.

"Right, because your nauseating  _morality_  is so much better." His fists clenched as he turned away from her ever so slightly, as if he was expecting a physical blow.

"Okay, something's up. You're acting weird. What is it?" Valerie demanded, facing him square on and staring him down.

Phantom faltered for a moment before he was able to regain what little composure he seemed to possess. "I don't see how that's any of your business. Or why you would care in the first place."

"Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't. But if the last encounter with Pariah Dark," Valerie had to supress a shudder, "was anything to go by, then we need to start working together. It's really going to take the both of us to take him down." She pointed a finger at him, "So that means we have to start communicating better, and that's going to start with you telling me what's with the stick up your butt!"

"You're afraid of Pariah, aren't you?" Dan posed in response.

Valerie faltered for a moment. "You should be too. You're the one whose ass he's kicked twice now. Don't change the subject. Answer my question."

"I fear nothing. I am the Ravager of Worlds, the Undefeated," he stated proudly and puffed his chest up slightly. Once again, something seemed wrong with the image he was trying to present.

"Pfft, yeah, undefeated until I came along, then Pariah  _twice_ and earlier today with—" the realization hit her like a ton of bricks "—Fate." The mention of the mohawked ghost caused Dan to grimace and instinctually move to cover his side that had been bleeding earlier. Valerie noticed focused in on the action. "What's the matter with your side?"

" _Nothing_ ," Dan hissed venomously.

The Huntress narrowed her eyes. "Don't give me that crap. Hasn't it healed yet?" The ghost in question turned further away from her and snarled threateningly. "Don't make me come over there! What's wrong with your healing factor? How come it hasn't taken care of that yet? You've healed from worse wounds in less time than this."

"Well, it's been  _taxed_  a little more than usual. Healing another being from a near-complete annihilation will do that," Phantom bit back as his eyes began to glow an eerie orange.

Valerie was taken aback. "You—you  _did_  save Jazz."

"So what, it's not like anyone cares to thank me for it. Instead, all I got was a beating while you and that  _ **Karma**_  stood and  _watched_." He turned back to face her fully, eyes alit with fury. "Where was your precious  _morality_  then? Sitting back and watching me get tossed around like a rag doll get you off?" Dan winced and once again grabbed onto his side, and Valerie for the first time ever felt shame from the ghost's words.

He was right. She  _had_  just watched him get tossed around like nothing, and a small, dark part of herself  _had_  enjoyed it. "You're right, that was wrong of me, and for what it's worth—I'm sorry." The words tasted like vinegar coming from her mouth, but one of them had to be willing to extend an olive branch, and clearly he wasn't going to be the one to do so.

At her apology, Dan seemed to relax somewhat. His shoulders released the tension that had been slowly building in them. "While you're at it, why don't you also thank me for healing you too?"

Valerie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I will,  _if_  you admit that you kissed me too."

The ghost leaned back on a wall as he grinned slyly. "Never."

"Well, until then, you get squat." Uncrossing her arms, she hesitantly took another step closer. She had to be careful, and treating him like a hurt and cornered wild animal seemed to be the safest route. "Now, will you let me see your wound? Maybe I can help." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and her face dropped into a deadpan. "If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it already."

"There's only one thing you can do that will help, but I can guarantee you will refuse," he admitted and looked away as he continued to absentmindedly rub his injured side.

Valerie narrowed her eyes, "And what is that?"

"I have discovered that your warm aura helps my power core to work more efficiently." He seemed to sigh as the Huntress continued to listen, lips pursed together. "Of course, the closer you are to me, the more benefits I reap from it."

The young woman let a beat of silence pass between them as she thought. "So what you're saying, is you want me to come over there… and  _snuggle up to you."_

"Well, I certainly wouldn't complain about that." Dan grinned widely, revealing his upper fangs.

Valerie groaned lowly and dragged a hand down her face. He was really making this difficult, wasn't he? It was no surprise he enjoyed her suffering, but didn't he  _ever_  get tired of it? After another moment's hesitation, she ground out, "Fine, but on  _one_  condition."

The ghost appeared somewhat surprised as he raised an eyebrow. "Very well, I'm listening."

"You're gonna face the other way, and we'll sit back-to-back, deal?" As he opened his mouth to not doubt agree, she cut him off with another hast addition, "And you're gonna answer any questions I have!"

Instantly, the amusement dropped from Dan's face. "That's  _two_  conditions, Valerie dear. Or do they no longer teach basic arithmetic underneath that pitiful upside down bowl?"

"We learned ' _basic arithmetic'_  at the same time dumbass, except I graduated high school," she raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Did you?"

They both knew full well he hadn't.

The ghost wisely remained silent but glowered at the young woman.

"Those are my terms, take them or leave them," Valerie stated after a moment of silence and watched with satisfaction as Dan pouted—there was no other word to describe his expression—and sighed heavily.

"Deal." With that, he turned around and carefully sat down on the floor. He favored his uninjured side, and Valerie could hear the quick hiss of pain from him. Taking a deep breath, she took careful steps towards his back.

Any second she expected him to suddenly turn and attack her, having feigned his weakness. Her heart beat quickly, and adrenaline flooded her limbs causing them to shake. Every instinct was screaming for her to run the other way, but the constant mantra that she could fight him and beat him here in this space kept her moving forwards.

As she sat behind him and rested her back against his, her senses went on to high alert, ready for even the slightest action that could be taken as an attack. Almost instantly, the cold radiating off of him started to seep into her skin. It wasn't unbearable, but it certainly wasn't comfortable.

A sigh of relief seemed to escape the ghost, and Valerie could feel him relax into her. A cold chill ran up her spine, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. He was too close. Much too close.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since she sat down. The air started to become stale around her as her breathing began to escalate rapidly.

Visions of Phantom turning to attack her filled her head. Being hurt, held down, his psychotic grin inches from her own face—

"I believe you said you had questions, Valerie. Do you intend to make me wait  _all_  day?" The deep baritone cut through her thoughts like a knife, and the visions faded to be replaced with the swirling green landscape.

Putting a hand to her chest, Valerie could feel her heart racing, and no doubt he could as well. Surprisingly, he hadn't said anything about it, but hell would freeze over before she'd admit it to him. "I do, and this time you better not freak out on me, or the deal's off."

"If you don't hurry up and get to it, I promise nothing." The irritation and impatience was clear in his tone.

Valerie took a deep calming breath and asked, "What does Vlad Masters have to do with any of this?"

The muscles in Dan's back tensed up, and the young woman prepared herself to fight. But nothing happened. They sat in silence, her question hanging in the air. She dared not push it further.

After several minutes, the ghost grumbled, "It had to be  _that_  question didn't it?"

"Yes, it did."

Dan sighed heavily, "He was the one who I— _Fenton—_ got shipped off to after his family died. Cue the worst months of our lives before Fenton died, and the rest you know."

"That's it?" Valerie exclaimed before she could stop herself.

" _Yes._  Problem?" Phantom hissed.

The young woman rolled her eyes and huffed with frustration. "There has to be more to it than just that. How did the human half of Danny die?" A part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she needed the closure. She'd wondered all these years.

"I blew up the Masters mansion, both he and Vlad were still inside," Dan answered bluntly, and Valerie nodded her head, silently trying to absorb the information he was giving her.

Poor, innocent Danny had burned to death in an explosion. He must have been terrified. If only she'd been there! She could have helped him!

"He didn't go down without a fight though." Dan continued, and Valerie's head shot up, the male ghost chuckled without humor. "The little shit grabbed a broken piece of glass from a beaker and tried to fight me off. Even went as far as to taunt me! He called me a 'filthy ghost' as he swung that stupid shard back and forth." The Huntress felt his shoulders slump forward once more. "After that, I hit the furnace with everything I had, and it exploded, taking the whole house with it."

"What about Vlad?"

"He was unconscious the whole time. He no doubt perished in the explosion."

Realization hit Valerie like a ton of bricks. "We found the rubble of the mansion and went through it to find if there were any survivors. The only body we found was of a young boy, Danny. Vlad wasn't there." She suddenly leapt to her feet, excited. Perhaps they weren't alone in this fight after all! "Maybe he's alive! We could find him and convince him to help us! He helped you fight Pariah when you were younger, didn't he? Plus, he's a halfa like you were! He would be a valuable ally for sure!" A plan was already beginning to form in Valerie's mind. Finally, hope, at last!

"Even if that were the case, he would not be much help. He no longer has any ghost powers." Dan scowled as he stood with a wince, still favoring his uninjured side.

The joy was sucked from the Huntress's being faster than a vacuum. "What? Why not?"

"Because after he finished ripping  _me_  from  _Fenton_.  _I_  ripped Plasmius from  _him_." His eyes began to glow a hot orange from their usual crimson as a ghostly glow surrounded his injured side. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dan conjured his usual jumpsuit. "I was able to become a full ghost by absorbing another halfa. Gaining sadistic and malicious tendencies were unexpected results of gaining the power I needed." The usual grin slid into place on his face.

"So you think that Danny had been holding you back? You wanted more power, so you got rid of him? That's it?" Valerie scoffed as she took a defensive stance. "How predictable."

"You don't understand what those months were like.  _No one does,_ and what's worse, is no one  _ **cares**_ ," Dan snarled viciously. "Least of all the one person Danny thought he could turn to when his whole life went up in smoke,  _ **Valerie**_."

"No! You are not putting the blame on me this time, Dan!" Valerie exclaimed and stomped her foot against the ground. A shockwave rippled out from beneath her foot, and the space rumbled ominously as bits of rubble began to fall from the many stone protrusions. The male ghost looked around in surprise, but Valerie paid no heed. "You do this every time! Blame me for your problems! I tried to contact Danny after he moved away, but I couldn't! He all but disappeared from the face of the earth! It's the one thing I regret the most, that I wasn't able to save him!" Tears began to well in her eyes.

More stones fell to the ground around them, several more than large enough to crush the two of them beneath their weight. "I did all I could to try and help Danny; it's  _not my fault that_ _ **you killed him**_ **!**  Stop blaming me for your problems, I have enough of my own, and I don't need you lumping more on top of them!" Her voice rose in a crescendo until she was practically screaming.

Dan paid little attention as he gazed around in fear at the rapidly deteriorating landscape around them. A tremble had started up beneath his feet as rocks and boulders rained from the sky. Surprisingly enough, they were centered on him, and not one even came close to touching the enraged woman.

"You're not the only person in the whole goddamn world who's experienced loss! You made damn sure of that when you went on your mindless rampage, killing everything and everyone in sight!" Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as her hair began to rise above her shoulders. "Worst of all, you started with  _the high school! The_ _ **high school!**_  There were so many innocent kids!" Her eyes began to glow.

(Dan)

"Dammit, Valerie, pull yourself together!" Dan cried, a hint of desperation in his tone.

"No! Too long I've been the one who's had to  _'keep it together'_  the  _responsible one, the_ _ **queen**_ _of the chess game_ —as you're fond of calling it!" There was a terrible echo to her voice that resonated throughout the area.

Dan was very nearly frantic now. She was tearing the mindscape apart! He needed to do something to stop her, but there was only one thing he knew would stop her now.

"Well, now I'm tearing the chessboard to pieces! I've had enough of your games; enough of your petty-childish behavior; and  _I have had_ _ **enough**_ _of_ _ **y—!**_ "

Her sentence was cut short by the pair of lips that pressed against hers.

Crimson eyes searched her teal as the destruction came to an abrupt halt, her hair returned to its normal place around her shoulders, and her eyes returned to their normal color. The ghost pulled away, "Jesus, Valerie. You almost destroyed everything."

Fury darkened her face a moment before pain exploded in his cheek and a slap echoed throughout the ruined area.

"Don't touch me, you bastard," the Huntress hissed as the ghost stumbled away, holding a hand to his face.

"I had to stop you. If you'd continued, you would have killed us both."

"And the best way to do that was by kissing me again? Don't bother trying to deny it's not the first time, you know  _damn_  well it's not!"

"You're right." The words were worse than vinegar coming across his tongue. To deny it any longer would just prove her right, that he was petty and childish. He looked her in the eye. "It's not."

There were several beats of silence as they regarded one another. Obviously, she hadn't been expecting his confession. "I want to know why. Why did you kiss me the first time? Was it to manipulate me? Just another one of your tactics to torture me psychologically?"

"It was Karma. She spoke with me and told me things I did not want to hear." The ghost turned away from the Ghost Slayer at this point. This was a new experience, admitting weakness and faults. It was a strange feeling, but it also felt good? For nearly ten years, he had kept everything bottled up until it came out in anger and vengeful fury. To actually express himself without a red haze…a weight felt like it had been lifted from his chest.

"So what, you're saying it was  _Karma's_  idea for you to kiss me?" Valerie all but spat, and Dan didn't have to look to know she was crossing her arms, weight on one hip.

"No, she told me that I was," the ghost swallowed trying to ride the taste his weakness from his mouth, "…lonely. Then later when I fled to the astral plane to escape her and found you, I realized…she was right. That damn woman was right!" He could feel his shoulders slump as his reputation fell to pieces around him. Valerie would never again look at him with fearful awe widening her aquamarine eyes. "For the past eight years, there has only been one being who has been there through everything. Only one to never back down, never surrender, and the only one to constantly keep me on my toes."

Valerie hesitated a moment, "…who?"

Dan turned and met her gaze with his own. "You."

It was then that her expression changed to one he never expected to see directed at him. Sympathy. Her expression twisted something unfamiliar inside his chest, and that was when he decided he'd had enough of this.

"I think it's time you take your leave now. I know I've had enough for today." Before Valerie could protest, he dissolved the scene with a wave of his han,d and they both returned to their separate bodies.

* * *

(Clockwork)

Back in the control room, Clockwork was tending to the time stream, making sure that everything was still progressing according to plan.

So far everything seemed to be in order, even with his extended absence from it. Excellent, the less meddling he did, the better.

It was at that moment that two annoyingly familiar signatures made their appearance known. The Master of Time groaned inwardly as he turned to face his uninvited—and frankly unwelcome—guests.

Two Observants appeared with their typical white and gold tunics with clear domes protecting their large, vulnerable eye for which they were named. "Clockwork, we must speak with you urgently regarding the matter of Dan Phantom and Pariah Dark."

"I am aware of the situation and have taken measures to solve both issues. What is the problem?"

"We are concerned that your efforts are not enough and are, bluntly speaking, self serving." One of them spoke, which one Clockwork wasn't sure since they didn't have mouths, and they all sounded exactly the same.

"Explain."

"We are aware that you have also taken Valerie Gray, the infamous Ghost Slayer, and are using her to tame the Ravager of Worlds. It is no secret that you once cared for Danny Phantom as a young protégé, and we fear this has clouded your judgement on the matter."

"Dan Phantom is a threat that needs to be destroyed before Pariah becomes too large a crisis to deal with alongside the delinquent ghost," the other argued.

The Master of Time narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his scepter. The Observants always did know just how to push his buttons. "Dan will not be a problem for much longer. The steps I have taken using Miss Gray have already borne favorable results along with Karma's help. It is my intention for Valerie and Daniel to fight Pariah together, side by side as allies. That is the only reality where Pariah is successfully defeated."

The two true nuisances looked at each other for a moment. One said, "If you are so confident about this, then we shall call a Ghost Council meeting where the champions you have chosen may prove themselves to all who attend."

"If they succeed and are able to prove that they can work together as allies, we shall see about supporting your plan," the other piped in obviously feeling left out.

Clockwork groaned outwardly this time. Council Meetings were always the worst. Essentially, everyone argued and talked and nothing was solved. Although, with Valerie attending, it would be the first time that a human would be present—and such an occasion demanded that alcohol be present as well in celebration. The gloom disappeared for a moment from his mind.

Ghost cores were terrible at filtering such substances. Perhaps this meeting would be more exciting than those passed.

"Very well, inform the other members, and I will make preparations here," the Master of Time agreed as the cogs in his head began to whirl furiously with ways he could make things more interesting. After a moment when the two ghosts did not disappear immediately, all joviality faded from his being. "I believe that was your cue to leave."

The two Observants regarded each other once more before they faded from view.

But their signatures appeared in another part of his castle.

A grin split Clockwork's face as he opened a portal, and a feminine squeak sounded from the other side, "Clockwork! What the hell?"

"Valerie, my apologies at this disturbance, but I do believe there is something you're going to enjoy."

* * *

(Dan)

Out of boredom and a desire to avoid Valerie at all costs, Dan had taken to randomly wandering the halls of Clockwork's palace. He had a vague idea of where he was within the labyrinth of winding hallways, but if all else failed he would just follow one of the ghostly signatures back to a known location.

After he had woken from the dreamscape, shame overwhelmed him, and he quickly fled the scene before she could show up to ask him more difficult questions. How could he have been so  _weak_  admitting that he had kissed her! How pathetic. Now the fearful reputation he had worked so hard to achieve was in shambles. After admitting his weakness so openly, she must have thought him truly pitiful now.

About to round a corner, Dan stopped. Ahead of him were two beings he had never seen before. They wore regal white clothing with gold accents with a clear dome over their round green heads that contained only a single eye.

Upon laying an eye on him, they froze in fright. The villainous ghost regarded them with a confused frown for a moment before an idea formed in his head at this great opportunity. A dangerous leer stretched across his face.

"Boo!" he sneered, raising his arms above his head in the position of a stereotypical scaring pose. The two unknown beings screamed shrilly despite the fact that, as far as he could see, they had no mouths to do so. Forgetting that they were ghosts, the two beings turned and retreated from him as quickly as their abilities would allow.

Laughing gaily, he flew after them, keeping up with ease as he threw several blasts into the walls and floors around them, purposefully missing. Each time, they shrieked and bumped into each other in their panic to escape.

"Clockwork! We know you are watching! Stop this at once!" one cried desperately when a ghost ray just missed his shoulder and exploded in the wall instead.

"Clockwork can't help you now! You shall suffer under my wrath!" Dan exclaimed with mock malicious intent and cackled extra loud for good measure.

The fear emanating off the two pitiful creatures he chased was palpable in the air. This was the most fun he'd had since he got here, and he was going to make it last for as long as he could.

" _Clockwork—do something!"_  one yelped desperately as he jumped over another blast near the end of his ghostly tail.

As they all turned one last corner, it was a dead end. The two creatures screamed shrilly once again and clung to each other in pure terror. Dan loomed over them, arms outstretched and fingers curled to make him appear bigger and more threatening.

"I'm your god now," he growled deep in his throat and watched with delight as the two creatures trembled violently in fear, " _and I'm fresh out of mercy._ "

"Hey! Your holiness! Leave them alone!" called a familiar voice and Dan turned to see, much to his disappointment, Valerie standing at the open end of the hallway one hand on her hip and a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Oh come on, I was just having a little fun! Thanks to you, I don't  _get_  to torment anyone anymore!" Dan whined and the two ghosts wasted no time taking advantage of his distraction and slipped around his blind side to escape down another hallway and out of sight.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Valerie retorted with a smirk.

"It  _is_  a bad thing, because now I can't have fun anymore!" Phantom huffed as he dropped back to the ground and crossed his arms. Memories of his confession came immediately to the front of his mind, and with a wince he avoided her gaze.

"There's lots of ways to have fun without killing anyone. I believe it was  _you_  who said that if I remember correctly."

Dan scoffed, "I never said I was going to kill anyone."

"You didn't say you weren't. Unfortunately, your track record is against you for that one," Valerie argued back with a small, knowing smirk.

"So is this the only reason you tracked me down? To lecture me?" Dan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"No, Clockwork actually sent me to save the two 'Observants,' I think he called them? He said you were chasing them around. He and I watched for a little while before he decided it was enough and told me to go distract you on their behalf."

"Oh I see how it is, everyone's against me. Typical."

"We're all on the same side, you drama queen," the Huntress deadpanned. "But no, distracting you from your 'prey' isn't the only reason I'm here."

Dan turned to face her fully, curiosity piqued. She avoided his gaze and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Clearly whatever it was, it caused her great distress. A small part of him started to get excited. What was it that could make the infamous Red Huntress so nervous?

"I also came to say…thank you…for healing me. I probably wouldn't have been much help if you hadn't done that." It was said quickly and quietly, almost mumbled, but he heard it clearly thanks to his enhanced senses.

For a moment he was shocked speechless. Something that had never happened before. The vindictive and prideful part of him wanted to draw out the moment, maybe goad her a little into making her blush with fury. But another, unknown part of him sensed that would be wrong and that to do so would ruin future similar events.

Instead he stuck with, "You're welcome."

* * *

**He's _learning_  who would have guessed? Also ugh the Observants, they're so annoying but I couldn't resist the scene of Dan chasing them around while Clockwork watches from the shadows amused as hell.**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	11. Savior- Boxed In

** Hello again! *dodges fruit thrown by readers* Yes I know, I’m sorry this is so late!! Life hit me fairly hard and I had a busy holiday season with my family and school has been kicking my ass. If I can graduate in April though, everything will be worth it!! **

** Without any further delay, here is the next chapter of Hell Follows Me! **

* * *

 

_ (Several months ago) _

_ This was all his fault. Everything was his fault. If only he’d done something different, thought of a better way, maybe this could have been avoided. _

_ A haggard man with a long beard stumbled around his dark, dank cave that had become his home. What little equipment that had been salvaged was strewn about in heaps, lit from the sickly green glow of the last working ghost portal. Hardly any of it was fully useable anymore, the main exception being the portal and one set of clawed gauntlets that the man could barely stand the sight of. _

_ In fact, the only possession that still held any value to him was an old photograph of his two best friends from college. He’d been such a fool. He’d squandered the precious time he had left with petty jealously and hate. What he wouldn’t give to fix his mistakes! _

_ Setting the frame down gently, almost reverently, the man rubbed his face in a stressed manner. It was hopeless though, he no longer had the facilities to create a weapon strong enough to take out the source of the world’s misery—or the ability to do so by himself now that his ghost powers had been ripped from him, just as he’d ripped them from someone else. _

**_ “You seek power.” _ ** _  A voice echoed in his mind. Blue eyes widened in fear, and surprise.  **“I can give you the power you seek,”** the deep resonance thrummed in his mind, and the gray-haired man slumped to his knees, hand clutching his head in pain.  **“We share the same goal, you and I.”** _

_ “Get out… of my… head. Who… are you?” the man cried out in agony. _

_ A green flame manifested in his mind with glowing red eyes and teeth.  **“I am the answer.”** _

_ “I don’t understand… the answer to what?” _

**_ “To everything. You require powers once more, and I require a new… assistant.”  _ ** _ The voice was still a terrible echo inside his mind. The vibrations of the sound felt like they were tearing him apart. _

_ This voice. It was terribly familiar. Where had he heard it before? _

**_ “Join me and together, we shall rid the world of the calamity who calls himself Dan Phantom.” _ **

_ Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. _

_ Pariah Dark. _

_ “What business do you have with Phantom?” the man winced, the presence in his mind still too much for him to handle. _

**_ “He is a puny boy playing at god, and intruding on my lands. I intend to wipe his existence from every plane of reality!” _ ** _  Pariah Dark boomed with a righteous fury, the green fire glowing even brighter than before. _

_ The man had to supress a cry of agony as a fire burned him. _

**_ “I believe our partnership would be mutually beneficial.”  _ ** _ The sharp teeth curved into a wicked smile filled with nothing but malice and evil intent. _

_ The man hesitated for a moment. Thoughts of redemption sparked in the back of his mind. He couldn’t do anything to fix his mistake on his own. Perhaps, just this once, accepting help—powerful help—would be in his best interests. _

_ Vlad stood, shakily, to his feet. “Very well, I shall lend my assistance to you, Pariah Dark. Together, we shall cleanse the earth of Dan Phantom.” _

* * *

 

(Present-Val)

The ghost ray hit her square in the chest, knocking the air from her lungs as she crashed to the ground. “You bastard!” Valerie wheezed as she managed to push herself upwards onto her hands and knees.

“What’s the matter,  _Huntress_? Can’t you take a little heat?” the mocking voice of Dan Phantom floated over to her.

“You know damn well that was more than a ‘little heat,’” she hissed and once again readied her blaster, preparing to defend herself.

“Oh that’s right, I forgot. You humans are so pathetically  _fragile_. A blast like that would have barely fazed one of  _my_  kind.”

Valerie scowled deeply and levelled her gun to the end of his perfectly sloped nose. For a brief moment, his eyes crossed to keep it in his sight before he was forced to dodge out of the way of an ectoplasmic blast. “I guess my gun is more powerful than you are if you had to dodge instead of using your intangibility.”

“Oh you want to make this about power? I can do that.” The male ghost snarled as he started to glow brighter, only to be interrupted by the flat edge of a sword knocking onto the top of his head.

Valerie was similarly punished with a shield.

“What was that for?” Dan demanded, indignantly of the red-haired ghost Karma as she pulled back and once again assumed a battle stance.

“Dead. The both of you,” she reprimanded them sternly before launching into another attack pattern, giving them barely enough time to defend themselves.

“Have you forgotten? I’m already dead!” Dan spat as he weaved through the air, desperately avoiding her deadly sword as it sang through the air. He dodged behind Valerie and pushed her forwards, directly into the line of fire. She stumbled and lost balance, forcing Karma to halt her attack and sidestep to avoid her. “You could still kill her though,” Dan offered with a grin.

“Wha—what the  _fuck_? What did you do that for?” Valerie demanded, turning on her heel and firing off several shots. The male ghost dodged them all with ease, continuing to grin the whole time.

“Your balance was weak; I was merely pointing it out. You should be thanking me,” Dan taunted her, a grin still firmly plastered on that smug face as he floated away. Narrowing her eyes, Valerie glared fiercely at her mortal enemy as she upped the power on her blaster. Too weak, he said? Now she’d see how he’d handle  _this_.

“Yeah? My balance you say…” she took a firm stance before sighting him down the length of her pistol, “I think it’s your constitution that’s weak!” She fired four shots. He dodged the first three just fine, but it was the fourth that caught him by surprise in the shoulder.

He cried out in pain as he fell to the floor.

Valerie smirked as she blew the smoke from the barrel of her gun. “What’s the matter,  _Phantom?_  Can’t take a little heat?” Shifting her weight to one hip, she stared down at the male ghost victoriously.

Dan glared viciously back up at her, clutching the smoking wound on his shoulder. “You bitch,” he hissed.

Karma sighed heavily. “Perhaps a break would be beneficial for everyone.” Melancholy weighed heavily in her tone, which Valerie did not miss. “We shall resume this in an hour. Hopefully you  _both_  will be able to concentrate better at that point.”

Valerie was about to make a comment on it when the ghost disappeared in white clouds. The feeling like she had failed settled uncomfortably in her stomach. A cold shiver up went her spine as a cold presence made itself known directly behind her.

Frowning she stared directly ahead, not even bothering to acknowledge the childish ghost behind her.

“It looks like we’re all alone now, Valerie.” Dan purred into her ear as he lightly traced the edges of her armor.

“Yup.” Valerie let him continue for another moment, just to get comfortable and let his guard down. It didn’t take long before she’d lulled him into a false sense of security where he was comfortably laying his full hand on her arm. Then she pressed a button on her suit.

Electricity arced up and around her form, electrocuting the male ghost who thought it okay to touch her.

“I’m going to check on Jazz.” Valerie announced airily as she walked away from the crumpled form of Dan Phantom, who was moaning in pain.

“What did you do that for?” he demanded to her back.

“Did I say you could touch me?” she asked rhetorically over her shoulder, and when the ghost remained silent, she added, “That’s what I thought. It’ll  _keep_  happening too, until you learn to keep your hands to yourself or ask permission first!”

“Why do I always need  _permission_? What are you? My  _keeper_?” he exclaimed indignantly as he finally found the strength to stand once again.

“Even adults need permission, you big baby. It’s called  _consent_. Surely that dead brain of yours knows the meaning of  _that_. Now I’m gonna go see how Jazz is doing. If you behave, you’re welcome to join me.” She waited at the open door and watched as he diverted his gaze to the far wall.

“No,” was his clipped response as he crossed his arms and continued to avoid her eye.

“Suit yourself.” Valerie shrugged and let the door close behind her with solid finality.

Now, if she remembered correctly, Jazz’s room was to the left. Semi-confident in her choice, the Huntress strode down the hallway. As she passed several familiar landmarks in the labyrinthic passageways, she became more confident she was heading in the right direction. Coming to a purple set of double doors, Valerie was fairly certain this was it. Turning the handle, she pushed open the door…

…to find a sitting room on the other side. This was not Jazz’s room.

Cursing quietly, Valerie closed the door and tried to the one across the hall.

A private bathing area. Still not Jazz’s room, but she’d have to make note of this place later. It would be nice to have some privacy once in a while rather than use the extravagant bath.

Once again closing the door, she continued to open and close doors all along the hallway finding more and more sitting rooms and bedrooms but never the one she was looking for. Frustrated and hopelessly lost, Valerie slammed the last door she checked with more force than she intended as the sound echoed down the hall.

“Valerie?” a deep voice sounded from behind her, and the young woman turned around to see the large, white figure of Frostbite holding what appeared to be a steaming bowl of something. He was gazing curiously and perhaps a little worriedly in her direction. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She replied a little breathlessly just in time for her stomach to give a hearty growl. A blush colored her face until she was able to suppress it to the tips of her ears. “I was just looking for Jazz’s room. I wanted to check up on her and see how she’s doing.”

The snow beast grinned, widely revealing two rows of razor sharp teeth, but he somehow managed to be completely unthreatening at the same time. “You are on the wrong side of the castle to find young Jasmine’s room, I’m afraid. Fortunately, I was on my way to the training room to deliver this.” He held the large, steaming bowl out to her, which she took after only a moment of hesitation. “I assumed that you would need a hearty meal to keep up your strength while you train with Karma.”

Valerie looked down at the broth that was thick with vegetables and some kind of meat. She had eaten this meal before, and while the meat contained therein was good, she still didn’t know what kind of meat it was. “Thanks, it looks delicious.”

“You are most welcome, my dear. Now if you wish to follow me, I will lead you to Jasmine’s room.” The large creature turned around and began to walk with long strides down the hallway in the direction she had come.

Holding the large bowl in two hands, Valerie did her best to avoid spilling any. It was still quite hot as the heat seeped through to the outside. The thick ceramic of the bowl stopped it from being too hot for comfort, but it was enough to be pleasantly warm.

Eager to eat the hot meal as her stomach growled demandingly, Valerie briskly followed Frostbite leading the way to her destination, hoping they would arrive soon.

Sure enough, it was the next set of doors that her beastly guide stopped at and gently pulled open the door. Once he had moved far enough inside for Valerie to see past him, she caught a glimpse of Jazz laying peacefully on the bed looking much improved from the last time the young woman had seen her.

Breathing a sigh of relief that Valerie hadn’t known she’d been holding, she quickly approached the bedside, gently setting the bowl on the bedside table, hunger forgotten in her concern. “Jazz looks so much better from the last time I saw her. She almost looks like a completely different person.” The human woman turned around to face Frostbite, only to find him glancing warily around the room. Instantly, Valerie was on her guard. “Is there something wrong, Frostbite?” She gripped the blaster on her thigh ready to open fire on anything that seemed wrong.

The white snow beast glanced to her and smiled widely, almost too widely. “No, everything is fine, my dear. It must have been my imagination. Pay no heed to this old fool. You should eat the stew before it gets cold. I am afraid it will not be any good if it does.”

The young woman furrowed her brow in suspicion but nonetheless released the grip on her gun to pick up the spoon for the stew. Once again picking the warm bowl up in her hands, she carefully sat it on her lap and began to eat. As was expected, the meal was just as good as the first time she had it lying in bed, injured from Dan’s abuse.

The large yeti-like creature stepped up to the bedside beside her. “Jasmine has made a remarkable recovery, I doubt she would have made it if Daniel had not aided her.” Placing a clawed hand over her arm, Valerie was able to clearly see just how much Frostbite cared for his charge.

Valerie put the spoon into the bowl and stared down at her hands. “Honestly, I can’t believe he made the choice to help. What did you do to convince him? The only thing he’s ever responded to for me is force and threats.”

“It was not me. I was just as surprised as you, but it fills me with the hope that maybe he is not beyond the point of no return as we may have thought.” He turned his yellow gaze to meet her eyes. “Something inside of him remains untainted, something that is capable of bringing him back from the darkness that has consumed him.”

Valerie averted her gaze as memories of his abuse and assault flashed in front of her eyes. If she concentrated, she could still feel his fingers gripping her neck and the sensation of being unable to breathe. “It will not be enough to absolve him of the things he  _has_  done though. Not in my eyes.”

“I understand your hesitation to forgive. I too have not yet overcome my own grudges.” The large creature, slumped forward slightly, his proud shoulders drooping.

“May I ask why?” Valerie probed gently. The large creature seemed so caring and impervious to sadness. To suddenly see him so vulnerable worried the young woman more than she’d ever care to admit, especially for a ghost—a race she once thought all unanimously evil without even a slight chance for redemption.

“Perhaps, but now is not the time for such reflection. Ghosts, in a comatose state like this, rely on the energy around them to heal and sustain a stable power core. I am concerned that if we change the energy of the room too greatly bringing up past sorrows, Jasmine will suffer for it,” Frostbite explained, but Valerie could hear the underlying sadness in his soothing voice.

Deciding it would be inappropriate to push any further, she finished off the last of the stew. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” Standing, Valerie awkwardly held the bowl, unsure of what to do with it now that it was empty. “I should probably get back to the training area before Karma finds out I’m not there, and god knows what Dan’s up to since I’m not there to babysit him. He’s probably trying to bring the place down on top of us!” She chuckled nervously before once again remembering her bowl. “But, uh, what should I do with this?”

“Leave it here, I shall deal with it shortly.” The large creature offered with a cheerful grin as he gestured to the side table.

“Are you sure? Cause I can help, if you want?”

“I promise, my dear, it is completely fine. You should hurry back to the training room; it would not do to keep Karma waiting.”

“Yeah, doubly so with how mad at us she was,” Valerie murmured, disappointed in herself as she carefully placed the dish on the table top. “Thanks for everything Frostbite. Let me know if anything changes with Jazz, okay?”

“Of course, Valerie.” The Far Frozen leader beamed happily as she exited the room. One last look over her shoulder was all the closing door afforded her of the recuperating ghost before it closed with a final click.

* * *

 

(Frostbite)

As the bedroom door closed, the snow beast breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment of listening to Valerie’s retreating footsteps, he called into the seemingly empty room, “You can come out now. Valerie is gone, and I know you are there.”

The ghostly form of Dan Phantom phased into the physical plane from invisibility. Lightly dropping to the floor, he regarded the large creature with skepticism. “You noticed my presence the minute you set foot in this room. Why did you not tell Valerie?”

Frostbite smirked slightly. It would appear the Ravager of Worlds was not entirely dense after all. “I assumed that there was a specific reason you did not wish to alert her of your presence. Was I incorrect?”

Dan stiffened, and crossed his arms as he turned more fully towards the sleeping Jazz, “Yes.” The word was short, clipped, and a total lie. The way Phantom’s ghostly aura flickered for a brief moment was a dead giveaway that the wizened leader picked up on immediately.

“Ah, I see. would you care to enlighten me on my mistake then, oh Herald of Devastation?” Frostbite inquired, a knowing smirk curling the edge of his lip.

“Herald of Devastation. Is that what you call me now?” the younger ghost asked as he resolutely stared ahead at the sleeping form of Jazz Fenton.

“My people are the keepers of history. The day you attacked Far Frozen, you targeted our oldest annals.” Frostbite’s brow lowered considerably in anger. “Centuries have now been lost to your lust for destruction, along with many precious lives that can never be replaced.”

Dan continued to stare ahead, not making eye contact, “Yeah, I remember that,” came the deadpan reply.

Frostbite carefully scrutinized the young ghost and how his shoulders slumped forward almost unperceptively as he turned his head away from the large beast. His yellow eyes narrowed with curiosity. This was not the reaction of the one who had terrorized the Ghost Zone for years, who enjoyed the suffering of others. Something in him  _had_ changed; that was clear as the muzzle on his face. This was most interesting indeed.

“It is good you remember. Their blood is on your hands, and it provides an opportunity to learn from past deeds.”

Dan turned to him with an annoyed grimace. “Why does everyone preach to me like they’re all saints and I’m the devil?” he snapped, aura flaring up around him. “I know for a fact that you are far from innocent, Frostbite. Before I destroyed those rocks, I glanced at some of them. Your kind gained your lands through conquest just as I have. Just as  _Pariah_  has!” The mention of Pariah caused his ghostly aura to flicker strangely, and Frostbite did not miss this detail.

“It is true, my people were not always as peaceful as we are now, which is exactly why I am able to imbue you with the importance of learning from past mistakes. This was precisely why we regard history with such reverence and keep such detailed records of it. The past provides us with solutions for the future.” He levelled a serious stare at the smaller being. “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Dan snarled and tore his gaze away from the white beast. “The past can’t help me now. So what good does it do to remember it?” The glow around him shrunk until it was barely visible and flickered, desperate to stay alive.

“You are apprehensive of the inevitable battle with Pariah Dark, are you not?” Frostbite asked bluntly and knew he had struck true when every muscle in Dan’s body tensed and his aura suddenly flared up in fear before turning into anger.

“What the hell makes you think that?!” Phantom snapped, a tinge of furious blush colored the tips of his pointed ears.

“I would think you a fool if you were not.” The reply was serious and monotonous, and the flame-haired ghost lifted a lip to reveal a fang in response. “Pariah is a fearsome adversary with a long and bloody history of war victories. Not only is he powerful, he is also extremely cunning and strategic, which have been the main reasons as to why he has been vastly undefeated.” Frostbite took a moment to let his words sink in to the ghost, who was listening very intently. “That is why it took the Ghost Council working together to lock him in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep the first time and why you were not able to defeat him alone as a kit. In order to defeat Pariah and assure that he never rises again, you will need to learn from your past mistakes and acknowledge that you need help to defeat him.” Taking a chance, the large yeti-like creature put a comforting paw on Dan’s shoulder. Much to his approval, the human ghost did not shrug it off. “It is in ghost and mortal nature both to require assistance in some instances. This is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Yeah well, no one cares how I feel.” Dan shrugged off the paw and stepped away to cross his arms over his chest. “Valerie would laugh at me, that Karma would tell me I deserve it, Clockwork would sit in his control room and do nothing to help.” He looked up, red eyes glowing with rage. “And you no doubt enjoy my suffering as well! To finally see the tormentor of the Ghost Zone brought low and shamed by another. Isn’t it just  _fitting_.”

Frostbite could hear the despair and hopelessness in Dan’s voice, even though the younger ghost desperately tried to hide it with anger. In that moment, the wizened leader understood the Herald of Devastation like never before. He truly was still a child who was desperate for acceptance and understanding, crying out for someone to listen to him and hear what he was truly asking for and not have them taken for face value.

“You cannot blame others for the reputation you have built for yourself, Dan,” Frostbite stated calmly, meeting the furious crimson gaze without fear. “But you are wrong if you think I gain any enjoyment from your suffering. Yes, you have wronged both myself and my people, but while I can not let that anger go easily, I can put it aside and see with clear vision that the Dan Phantom who stands before me now, is not the same Dan Phantom who slaughtered much of my clan and destroyed our artifacts.”

The flame-haired ghost appeared shocked and his aura flickered almost shyly, as if he were embarrassed.

“And I implore you to reconsider your assumption of Valerie, and Karma, especially Valerie. Laughing at someone else’s pain is not something I think she would be capable of. I imagine if you spoke to her of your apprehension of facing Pariah, you may find she will be more willing to aid you.” Frostbite once again placed a paw on his shoulder and looked him right in the eye, “You will not be alone in this fight.”

Dan stared up at him with what he could only see as a child-like desperation and for a brief moment, he saw a younger Danny with big, blue eyes in the face of the red-eyed Ravager.

“Now, if you truly wish to avoid the ire of Valerie and Karma, I imagine they would not be happy to learn you are late back to the training session.” With that, Frostbite removed his hands from the other ghost who nodded, almost dazedly.

“Valerie will be angry regardless. She always seems to be cross with me for some reason or another.” He grinned, lopsidedly, “But that’s what makes it so fun.” And with that, the ghost disappeared from sight and his signature faded into the distance.

Satisfied, Frostbite sat back down on the chair by the bedside and resumed his careful watch over his charge who now seemed to have a small smile in the corner of her mouth.

* * *

The Master of Time, as always, sat tending to the time stream in his control room. things were only getting worse. Pariah was gathering power and allies from all corners of the Ghost Zone. Powerful relics were being found in his increasingly desperate search for the key, which was no where to be found.

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least one thing seemed to be progressing correctly.

His train of thought was interrupted when storm clouds announced the arrival of Karma, and judging by the state of the clouds, she was not happy.

“Troubles with the married couple?” he teased turning back towards the monitors. A sword impaled the ground directly under where he floated. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I don’t know what I am going to do with them, Clockwork.” Karma lamented as she sat in a chair. “They refuse to work together, constantly arguing and fighting each other. I don’t know how they’re ever going to focus long enough to defeat Pariah. And Dan still takes far too much enjoyment baiting Valerie, who rises to the occasion without fail every time.”

Clockwork smiled like a proud parent. “At least they have not lost themselves in the turmoil.” He gestured to one of the screens, and the female ghost followed his hand. On it was an image of Dan and Valerie fighting together side-by-side in perfect, flawless synchronization. “This is the future they are set on at this current moment. I can understand your frustration, especially with Phantom, but with the right encouragement and a nudge in the right direction, we will be able to turn this towards the best possible outcome.”

Karma smirked slyly. “A nudge?”

“You’re right, he needs a shove. I was just trying to be poetic.” The Master of Time aged downwards into a toddler form, but the self-satisfied smirk never once left his facial features. “Although, I am afraid even this timeline will not avoid the most dreaded event of all. A Council meeting must be called.”

The red-haired ghost lowered her eyebrows in distaste. “Those never go well.”

“The Council will wish to know our plan for defeating Pariah Dark, and Dan and Valerie will have to make an appearance as our Champions.”

“Clockwork…they are not ready. If they were to present themselves before the Council as they are now, I dread to think what will happen.” Karma sighed heavily. “The most favorable outcome would be that they are ignored and the Council insists upon a new plan. Considering how Fate alone rejected the idea of them working together, it will be even more difficult for everyone else to accept it.”

“Your sister certainly is stubborn, this is true; however, it is not impossible for her to change her mind. I am confident that we shall be able to convince her that this is the best path to victory,” Clockwork reassured the female ghost.

“Yes this is true. She will see reason if we are successful in proving that Dan and Valerie are able to work together.” With purpose, the red ghost stood back to her full height, hair streaming down her back. “Thank you Clockwork, I know what I must do.”

The Time ghost smiled wryly, which was made impish by the child form he still possessed. “Just remember that we need them to be well enough to present themselves for the Council.”

“Of course, I would never presume to… damage them so completely.” A dark smirk curled the corner of her mouth, and her hair flickered more quickly. Grasping her sword, she gracefully pulled it from the ground and strode into a thundercloud formation. With a great crack of thunder, she disappeared.

Clockwork silently prayed for the wellbeing of the two who were now at Karma’s mercy.

* * *

 

(Valerie)

Upon arriving back to the training room, she fully expected to find Dan destroying the room out of boredom and a childish need for attention, but much to her surprise, it was empty. Or at least it appeared that way. Maybe he was just lying in wait to cause trouble again.

Activating her ghost radar, it beeped and refreshed its map.

Nothing. The room was indeed empty.

Where could he have gone?

Unless… a memory resurfaced in her mind.

_ The human woman turned around to face Frostbite, only to find him glancing warily around the room. Instantly, Valerie was on her guard. “Is there something wrong, Frostbite?” She gripped the blaster on her thigh ready to open fire on anything that seemed wrong. _

_ The white snow beast glanced to her and smiled widely, almost too widely. “No, everything is fine, my dear. It must have been my imagination, pay no heed to this old fool...” _

Had Dan been in the room at that time, and Frostbite had sensed him? But why would he have kept that a secret? A blush formed across her face; that also meant he had likely heard everything she had said. Damn him, couldn’t she get even a  _little_  privacy?

“Back so soon, Valerie? That certainly was a short trip to visit  _my sister_ ,” the familiar baritone teased, and the young woman rolled her eyes.

“I was only checking to make sure that nothing had changed for the worse, because unlike some people here, I care about her.” She crossed her arms, turning to face the ghost head on. “But I know I’m not the only one.” Her piercing gaze left no question as to whom she was referring.

Phantom shifted awkwardly. “You put too much weight on one deed. It was a one-time thing.”

“Baby steps, Dan, baby steps.” She sighed before the gathering of thunderclouds drew both of their attention to the center of the room. Karma was returning.

With a clap, the clouds dispersed to reveal the red ghost, walking purposefully and confidently with her sword gripped tightly in her left hand. Both ghost and human swallowed nervously.

“We shall be trying something different. Since you are incapable of concentrating to fight me, perhaps a common enemy of you both will be more effective.” Her voice was surprisingly calm as the sword disappeared from her hand to reform one of the golden bangles on her arm.

Then before their eyes, a mist began to form and she disappeared entirely.

Confused the two intently watched the swirling fog as it slowly formed into a cube-like shape. Furrowing her brow in confusion, Valerie curiously took a step closer and dared to reach a hand out to touch the mist. As she made contact, the top of the cube exploded, and out popped a very familiar but clearly not Karma being. Valerie jumped back in surprise, and Dan chuckled.

“ _I AM THE BOX GHOST, BEWARE!”_ the round, blue overall wearing ghost cried, waving his arms above his head.

The Red Huntress and the Ravager of Worlds grinned.

She grabbed her gun and his fists started to glow. “Hell yeah,” they stated in unison before launching into an attack.

* * *

 

** Honestly, I’ve been waiting to write a scene like that for the longest time now. Pretty much since I created Karma and introduced her haha. God this slow burn of Dan’s character development is killing me.  _Why did I have to choose to like such a morally depraved character????_ **

** Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you’d like! I’d love to hear your thoughts!! **


	12. Savior- The Ghost Council (Part 1)

**Okay so after that long time in between updates, would anyone believe that I actually wrote this chapter in FOUR DAYS? I was hit with sudden inspiration for this story and pounded out this chapter faster than ever. I only waited to give some time for the previous one to sink in a bit.**

**Also if anyone is curious, here is what Karma, Fate and Irony look like:** **: / / post / 166702401422 / i-finally-finished-my-ghost-sisters-karma-irony (just remove all the spaces and the () around the periods)**

**Also Trishntrips has also been kind enough to paint Fate and Karma! You can find their beautiful portraits here:  
**

**Karma: : / / post / 167449731312 / thanks-to-ladyaudentium-writing-one-of-my**   
**Fate: : / / post / 170534132322 / for-ladyaudentium-so-i-realized-i-had-asked-to**

**Thank you so much Trish! I absolutely love your art, and I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!**

* * *

(Clockwork)

All was quiet in his castle. Dan and Valerie were both resting from a day's hard work training with Karma. From what he heard, after she had switched tactics to using her ability to assume any form she wished, the two Champions had fought together flawlessly.

The Master of Time materialized into Jazz's room. The sight that greeted him was not at all what he expected.

Frostbite lay sleeping, propped up against the bed, obviously exhausted from keeping a close eye on the still comatose orange-haired ghost. With a wave of his staff, Clockwork gently enveloped the ice ghost in a purple hold and, using a portal, placed him into the adjoining bedroom where he would get a proper rest.

Task finished, Clockwork directed his gaze back to the young female ghost who had yet to awaken. She looked much improved, her skin glowing a bright and healthy ectoplasmic green. For the first time since she entered her coma, Jazz truly looked as if she was only sleeping and about to awake at any given moment.

"Maybe if you kiss her, she'll wake up faster," a sarcastic voice quipped disdainfully from behind him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Fate?" Clockwork asked with the minimal amount of propriety possible.

The leather-wearing ghost stepped up beside him, her muscular arms crossed as she stared down with uncaring white eyes at Jazz. "She lives after all," she sneered. "Although I have my sister to blame for this one—for once—not you. If I'd had it my way, Jazz would have faded out under Pariah's hand, and Dan would have once again spiraled back down to the villain I made him to be." She sighed angrily. "But for some unknown reason, everyone but me is obsessed with his redemption."

Clockwork smiled indulgently. "It is because you spend too long choosing the future and not long enough getting to know those that you are deciding the lives of."

Fate scoffed. "I don't have time for that kind of shit, nor do I care. Their lives mean nothing to me. This is just the duty I've been assigned to until the end of eternity. I will never understand how you are able to have the patience for such drivel," her face twisted up in disgust, "such  _sentiment_."

"Perhaps that is just the difference between us. I always wish to know better the ones who will change history." The Master of Time continued to gaze down at Jazz who had yet to wake. A smirk pulled the corner of his mouth. It seemed her fingers had twitched with Fate's last statement. Thankfully, the white haired ghost seemed not to notice.

"Hn, well whatever, I'm here for a different reason than to merely not understand you. I, and no doubt everyone else, received your summons for the Council Meeting. I sure hope you know what you're doing; this is not going to go well  _at all_."

Clockwork sighed heavily. "I am aware this is not the most ideal solution to the problem at hand, but I have looked into the possibilities, and this is the only one where Pariah Dark is fully defeated with minimal losses on our side. Please try to keep an open mind about this, Fate."

The white ghost laughed harshly and without humor. "The day you stop interfering with my timeline choices is the day I will have an open mind of Dan Phantom and Valerie Gray working together in  _peace_  and  _harmony_." With that final cutting statement, she turned and began strutting towards the door. "I'll see you at the Council Meeting. I look forward to watching you and your  _plan_  crash and burn."

Clockwork couldn't do anything more than watch the antagonistic ghost take her leave through the door. Getting the majority of the Council to vote along with his plan would be incredibly difficult without Fate's support. He could feel himself aging up into an old man, but the sudden breaking of a light and airy voice returned his youth to him.

"Who put a stick up her ass?" Jazz's voice was slightly hoarse from lack of use, but as Clockwork turned back to face her, he felt the stress and the worry of Fate's derision fade from his being.

"I'm sure she will blame me for that too. Even though I'm pretty sure she sat on it herself." Despite himself, a chuckle found its way into the end of his statement. His joy at finally seeing Jazz awaken drowned out everything else. Now with her back, everything felt right again.

She chuckled hoarsely too. "Maybe one day you could actually do something she blames you for."

"I can only hope," he replied gently, as he sat on the edge of the bed and put one of his hands over hers. Jazz responded by gripping his fingers a bit tighter. "It's good to see you well again Jasmine."

"I wish I could say the same. God, you look awful." She smiled to soften the blow of her words. "You really do need me around here."

Clockwork closed his eyes and nodded. For now all he wanted was to enjoy her company. A comfortable silence fell over them. Jazz still a little too weak to remain awake for long, and the blue ghost was just willing to relish in the fact she was still here.

* * *

(Valerie)

_As Valerie opened her eyes, it wasn't hard to see that she was again in Dan's mindscape. Her bedroom was darker than usual, and she felt slightly out of body. Her limbs didn't carry with them the same weight as normal. The only question was, where was he?_

_Rolling over, she was able to spot him leaning on the window sill, head hanging between his shoulders. Somewhat unnerved at finding him in such a vulnerable position, the Huntress was at a loss as for what to do. Would he snap at her if she drew attention to it? Would he open up?_

_She realized then he was wearing the black workout outfit from their first training session with Karma. Up until this point, he had made an effort to appear in only his jumpsuit, and she had forgotten all about his Karmic markings. The collar was just high enough to hide the band around his throat, and of course the long sleeves hid everything else._

" _Your tattoos shrunk," Valerie stated upon realizing what was different about them. Before, they had extended in sleeves down to his wrists, but now they had receded to mid forearm._

_Dan lifted his head to casually regard his arm. "Yeah… who would have thought…" The end of his sentence trailed off as he continued to stare unseeing at his own appendage._

" _Well, Karma seemed like she had some faith in you. Although, at the time I don't know how she did."_

" _At the time." He lowered his arm once again and stared curiously into her eyes. "What makes you say that?"_

" _Well, when she intervened, you_ were _trying to forcibly undress me because I was only wearing a bathrobe borrowed from Clockwork." Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "Not to mention the time just before that in the bath where you nearly drowned me."_

_A wince, whether of regret or physical pain, crossed his features momentarily as he looked away and once again put his head between his shoulders. Valerie lessened her glare to suspicion. Something about him was, without a doubt, different._

" _No wonder you hate me so." His response was so quiet, Valerie wondered if she was meant to hear it at all._

" _Those aren't the only reasons I have to hate you. They're only the most recent."_

_The ghost snarled with sudden rage as he violently pushed against the window and turned to face her, face twisted with a snarl. "And do you intend to hold those reasons over me until you finally fade me out?!" he demanded, eyes glowing._

_Valerie tensed up and stepped out from underneath the tangle of sheets. If he were going to attack, she needed to be ready. "I might, if you don't give me reasons to look past them." She hesitated a moment before adding, "which, against all I expected, has started to happen."_

_The snarl dropped from Dan's face. Obviously, he was surprised that she had acknowledged his few good deeds. A grin started to stretch across his face. "What was that, Valerie? I don't believe I heard you. You'll have to speak up. As I fused with Vlad, I sometimes suffer from his old-man hearing." The ghost floated up closer to her and angled his one ear towards her._

_Rolling her eyes, Valerie decided to indulge him. "I said, YOU'RE NOT BEING A_ COMPETE _DICK ANYMORE!" she yelled as loud as she could directly into his ear and watched with satisfaction as he quickly covered the abused ear and jumped away. Crossing her arms, she stared him down triumphantly._

" _Jesus, woman what was that for?" Dan demanded as he tried to determine if there was any permanent damage._

" _You said you wanted me to repeat myself. I was merely doing as you asked while also making sure that it doesn't go to that fat head of yours. Your ego is hard enough to handle like it is now."_

" _But did you truly need to do that? What if I have permanent damage now, Valerie dear?" Dan whined as he continued to massage his abused appendage._

" _I thought that's what your healing factor was for, you big baby!"_

" _I'm sure it would help if you kissed it better." He grinned widely, and Valerie only stared at him with a deadpan expression._

" _That's dumb."_

" _Oh come now, what could be more harmless than a kiss on my injury. It's_ juvenile  _really, Valerie."_

_She found it hard to disagree with his logic on that, even if he was wrong with where he was truly injured._

_Heaving a heavy sigh, the Huntress rolled her eyes before taking a step towards him. "Fine, if it gets you to shut up about it." At least he was asking for once and not forcing her to do it._

_As she got closer, her heart started to beat faster in fear. Nothing good ever came from being this close to Phantom._

_He leaned down slightly so she could reach his pointed ear. Biting her lip nervously, she tightened her grip on her arms._

_Time seemed to slow as she neared him. His sharp, winter-like scent accented the air around him. It did nothing to calm her nerves._

_Her cheek nearly brushed against his, the fine hairs on her skin barely registering him next to her. The cold from his skin seeped into her heat._

_Her mouth pursed, and just as she was about to make contact, a sudden breeze in her hair alerted her to movement._

_A cold hand appeared on her chin, and in the next moment, it tilted her face slightly upwards._

_Another pair of lips hovered just slightly out of reach of her own._

_Snapping into action, Valerie's system went into high alert, and before Dan could move a muscle, she jumped back, once again establishing a decent amount of space between them._

" _What the hell?" she demanded, a blush of anger darkened her cheeks. "What happened to 'this is juvenile, Valerie'?" she deepened her voice to imitate him in her mockery. "That was_ anything _but juvenile!"_

_His grin lessened to more of a smirk, but no less self-satisfied. "Perhaps you are right, but I could not resist. Your reaction was as I anticipated." He levelled a serious stare at her. "Although if I truly had wanted to kiss you, I would have."_

" _Did you learn nothing from me electrocuting you earlier?!" Valerie demanded, slightly breathless with disbelief._

" _Then allow me to try again." In an instant, he had closed the distance between them._

_Alarm bells and sirens blared in her head as all her instincts told her to run. Something, and she wasn't sure what, stilled her gut reaction to strike out in self defense. But what she did know, was that is was nothing of Dan's doing that stayed her hand. Instead, she jumped backwards in surprise, but tripped onto the bedside table, her hands landed on the top to keep herself from falling backwards._

_Dan did not hesitate and placed his hands on either side of her hips, and leaning in, effectively trapped her. His crimson irises stared deeply into her teal. "May I have an adult kiss from you, Valerie?"_

" _Why?" her voice shook slightly. He was close, much too close. Her heart pounded heavily in her ears, but she could not look away from his gaze. It was hypnotic, but not in a bad way. It was just…intense._

_There was a beat of silence as he thought over her question. "There are many reasons, but the best one would be for you to accept it as an…apology." She could see the wince at his final word, but Valerie was too shocked to react much._

" _W-what?" she stuttered, confused. "What kind of apology would that be?"_

" _One that serves many purposes. I quite enjoyed kissing you before. I am also curious as to what it would be like if you are willing to_ let me _." His baritone voice was level with honesty and his eyes clear of any malice. The very same neutrality as before was once again present._

_Her heart beat faster for a different reason than fear now, but Valerie dared not ask herself what it might be. It was a road she wasn't sure she was ready for yet._

" _I-I…" she struggled for a reason to say no, but her brain was shutting down. His close proximity was making it hard to think properly. A blush heated her face and down her neck. Had he really just said he desired her, and meant it?_

_He brought a hand up and gently pushed a wayward curl away from her cheek. The action rendered her speechless. It was a simple gesture, but at the same time incredibly intimate._

" _You have my word there are no ulterior motives to this. A simple kiss is all I ask for," he intoned lowly. There was an edge of something to his voice, but the Huntress could not identify it._

" _That's it? Just a kiss? You're not trying to lead into something more?" She hoped there was as much skepticism in her voice as she was feeling. More than once he had taken advantage of her vulnerability; she did not want it to happen ever again._

" _I believe you once said you would like restraints better if they were on me. If it makes you feel better, you may restrain my hands to ensure they do not…" he grinned slyly, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "…_ wander. _"_

_The line sparked a memory in her mind back to their encounter right before Pariah made his rather dramatic entrance to the human world. She had said that, hadn't she? Feeling more confident and in control, Valerie firmly planted her hands on his wrists, securing them to the nightstand._

" _Alright, Phantom, you get one kiss. Better make it count," she taunted him and watched as his eyes lit up at her challenge._

" _As you wish," he intoned lowly before closing the last of the distance between them._

_His lips were cold upon her own, but much to her surprise, gentle. Greater still, Valerie felt her eyes close and tilt her head to better accommodate him. Stretching her lips open, he deepened the kiss, pushing her head back into the wall behind her._

_A growl vibrated in his throat, and muscles in his arms flexed as he fought to keep his hands down. She could feel him gripping the table so tightly, she feared it would break. Perhaps if it had been in the real world, it would have, but here, it must have been made of something sturdier._

_In the next moment, he pulled away breaking the kiss, but rested his forehead against hers. He breathed heavily as he tightly shut his eyes, a trembling had started up in his limbs._

_Valerie smirked. "Well, all things considered, that wasn't_ terrible _."_

_His red eyes opened to meet hers. "That's cruel, Huntress."_

_She hummed in agreement as the scene faded from around them._

* * *

Coming back to true wakefulness, Valerie sat up and pushed her legs off the side of her bed. Memories from the mindscape flooded back to her all at once. A deep blush colored her face and neck.

He had kissed her.

And she had  _let him_ , given him permission even, and then she had to go and  _enjoy it_!

What was she doing? This situation was getting out of hand. What would her father say?

A pit of longing sank into her stomach. She missed him, everyone. Being here without them was hard for her. The Resistance was such a strong pillar of support for her, and to be away from it for so long was truly beginning to wear on her. For her, it had been weeks' worth of absence from her people, but how long had it been for them? She needed to ask Clockwork. He had delivered a letter to her father at her request not too long ago; perhaps he would be able to arrange a personal meeting with him.

A girlish giggle caught her attention, and the young woman whipped her head up, braided hair flying over her shoulder. A threadbare stockinged foot phased through the wall and out into the hallway.

Chilled to the bone with fear and burning with curiosity, Valerie leapt from the bed, ran to the door, and threw it open. She burst into the hallway where the mysterious ghost disappeared to revealed the space to be…

…empty.

The Red Huntress narrowed her eyes and scanned the area carefully. Sometimes with lower class ghosts, their invisibility was not always perfect, and if she concentrated just right, sometimes a distortion in the air could be noticed.

Nothing.

Wary and suspicious, Valerie retreated back into her room. The feeling like she was being watched persisted. Unable to deal with not knowing for sure if she was alone, the Huntress grabbed her gauntlet from the chair and activated its ghost radar. As it refreshed, the watcher feeling disappeared, and the map came up blank.

Sighing with relief, the young woman started to get dressed for the day. Pulling off the oversized t-shirt, she pulled on her black sports bra and tank top, followed by her suit leggings. What she wouldn't give for a new set of clothes rather than the same ones all the time. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and Clockwork had been accommodating, or as much as he could anyways.

" _A simple kiss is all I ask for…"_

The memory shot through her system in sharp reminder that it happened. Shame welled up inside her stomach. How could she have allowed that? Further more, how could she have allowed herself to  _enjoy_  it?

Her ghost radar suddenly blared an alarm.

"How interesting indeed…" a wizened voice intoned curiously from behind her.

Activating her battle suit, Valerie turned around in one fluid motion and drew her blaster.

Behind her stood an extremely tall ghost, at least seven feet tall with purple curled horns, and a body made of what appeared to be the night's sky. From what she could see, he didn't have any legs, only tendrils of continuing darkness from his body.

"Perhaps Clockwork's ridiculous plan isn't so ridiculous after all." He smiled revealing two sharp fangs.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Valerie demanded, standing strong as her blaster primed for a powerful shot.

"Who would have thought that behind the closed doors of the mind, the Ravager of Worlds and The Ghost Slayer weren't the enemies everyone thought them to be." Completely unfazed by her weaponry, he instead took several steps forward. Like all ghosts, he was cold, but his chill was different from Dan's. Dan was like winter, this newcomer… he was cold like death, of emptiness. It unsettled Valerie in ways Phantom never could.

"I don't know what you're talking about," The huntress denied, a fear deep in her stomach that he could tell she was lying.

The mysterious ghost chortled evilly, "How pathetic, you can't even admit it to yourself!" He leaned down so his blood red, pupiless eyes stared deep into her soul. "It seems our little Dan Phantom has done more than ravage the world."

His implication hung heavily in the air between them and after a moment, the red of his eyes seeped out to match the rest of her vision. Without breaking eye contact, she aimed the barrel directly into his chest and fired. The first shot was more powerful than the rest by far, but each tore a hole in his shifting body.

"Stay out of my head, you bastard," she growled between gritted teeth as she watched with satisfaction as he doubled over in pain, clutching his new wounds. Much to her surprise, however, they did not bleed the typical green blood of ghosts and closed almost immediately.

"It seems the infamous Red Huntress still has some bite after all. I'm sure your precious Dan Phantom will enjoy that very much." With a cruel laugh, he faded into a black smoke, the glittering of stars the last to dissipate behind him.

Glancing down to her radar, it once again registered her as alone in the room. Slumping down onto the bed, the adrenaline rush faded from her body leaving her weak. Her limbs shook with the residual fear of the encounter. Where had that ghost come from? Surely he hadn't been here the whole time?

Holstering her gun, Valerie shakily pushed to her feet and began to make her way to the training room. Maybe Karma would be able to give her some answers.

* * *

Striding into the training room, Valerie saw that Dan was already there and dressed similarly to her, with a black tank top and sweatpants. Upon her entrance, he turned and regarded her with something close to satisfaction. A smile stretched his face, which the Huntress returned with a glower. She was definitely going to regret the kiss from earlier.

Karma stood tall in front of the flame haired ghost, they had most likely been talking before she arrived. As she turned her red eyes to the young woman, her purple face drew into a frown. "Valerie, is something wrong? You appear… disturbed." Immediately, her eyes shifted to Dan. But he was still staring at Valerie and did not notice.

"Yeah, I was minding my own business in my room when some night-sky-horn-wearing motherfucker appeared out of no where and started threatening me." She used her fingers to gesture beside her head to indicate his curved horns. Dan looked at her like she was crazy while Karma visibly tried to hide her amusement at her description.

"It seems ghosts have already responded to Clockwork's summons for the Ghost Council. I suspect others will be arriving shortly, including—"

"KARMA!" a high pitched girly voice interrupted the red ghost, and out of nowhere a green and purple blur dashed up behind Dan, jumped, and used his back as a springboard to get to the other female ghost.

Dan, not expecting extra weight to be pushed onto him, crumpled to the ground in a rather unceremonious heap. Valerie wasn't able to hide her snort of laughter in her surprise.

The green and purple object appeared to be another ghost who clung to Karma like a tree, both arms and legs wrapped around her tall form. "How could you leave me with Fate? It's been so boring without you, and Fate is so mean, I have to resort to playing with the human world!" the childish being whined. Valerie took note of the oversized purple sweater, pale blue hair and black leggings that adorned the newcomer.

"I'm sorry Irony, but Clockwork needed my help here. I have been quite busy training Valerie and Dan how to fight together and eventually what they will need to know to defeat Pariah Dark." Karma patted her head comfortingly, most likely in hopes that the other ghost would let go. Unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect as Irony gripped tighter.

Although the mention of "Dan and Valerie" perked her head up, and Irony turned her green, pupiless eyes back to the male ghost and the human woman. A rather unsettlingly happy grin stretched over her face upon laying eyes on them.

"Oh yeah, I remember you!" She pointed to Dan, "But you used to be smaller, I liked you better as a halfa. Especially with your parents being  _ghost hunters_." She detached herself from Karma and floated right up to Dan's face, grinning darkly for such a juvenile looking being. "It was just so  _ironic_."

Dan snarled viciously, a growl resonating deep in his chest, "Don't patronize me. I could tear you limb from limb right now, and there'd be nothing you could do about it."

Irony giggled girlishly, and clapped her hands. "Ohh, you're  _scary_  aren't you? No wonder Fate likes you so much!" Her complete and utter obliviousness to Dan's increasing temper was astounding.

"Hey, cut it out. He hasn't done anything to you, but if you don't stop, you're gonna find out what he can do. And it won't be pretty," Valerie spoke up before Phantom snapped. The last thing she needed to be doing right now was trying to calm down the maniac he was bound to become if this continued.

Irony switched her green gaze to the Huntress. "Oh? Standing up for him? Isn't he the one who destroyed everything you love?" She got up in Valerie's face, just like she had done for Dan.

Her words stung deep to Valerie's core, but bringing up past sorrows now would not do any good. "I said," she drew her gun and once again primed it for a powerful shot, " _cut it out_." Aiming it directly at the chest of the purple clothed ghost, she wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if Irony persisted on being difficult.

"Irony, that is enough. It is not productive to be baiting either of them right now." Karma stepped in and put a hand on her companion's shoulder.

"Yeah, no kidding, this isn't any fun anymore anyways. They're both so  _serious_  now." She sighed disappointedly and crossed her arms. "I'm gonna go find Clockie. Maybe he can entertain me for a while." And with that, the young ghost flounced off, short hair bouncing with every step.

"Good riddance," Dan mumbled under his breath and turned to Valerie. As she reholstered her blaster, they shared a look of mutual understanding. One of the few things they agreed on was their dislike of the ghost named Irony.

"What was that all about?" Valerie asked the red female ghost still standing in the room.

"Please forgive my sister; she is rather unskilled with people. She takes great amusement in manipulating others. I am afraid that she spends too much time with Fate and as such has picked up her mean tendencies," Karma explained with a sigh.

"Well she certainly seems… interesting." Valerie paused for a moment trying to come up with something else to say but when she was left with nothing, continued on with her question before they had been interrupted. "So, I hate to keep harping on this, but I'd really like to know who the ass-fuck was in my room earlier, with the horns and everything."

"That was Nocturn." Dan, surprisingly, answered her question. Much to her surprise, the red ghost nodded in agreement that he was speaking the truth. "The bastard has a hard time keeping his nose out of other people's business. Especially when it comes to dreams. That's where his power lies."

Her face darkened with a deep blush that extended all the way to her ears. "Goddammit. That asshole must have seen what happened…" she trailed off, not brave enough to finish her sentence with Karma standing right there.

Dan seemed to catch her meaning as he snarled silently, and looked away. No doubt trying—and failing—to hide his own blush. "Why is he even here? What makes him worthy of this all mighty 'Ghost Council'?" Phantom asked derisively, using his fingers to make air quotes.

"Any ghost who hosts unique powers, or is the leader of a nation, has a seat on the Council." Karma explained.

"So does that mean… Pariah…?"

"Yes, before he was consumed by greed to possess everything, he had a seat at the Council."

There was silence after Karma's explanation where Dan and Valerie once again shared a look of understanding. That didn't sit well with either of them. A heavy silence fell over them as the human and ghost processed this new information. Just as Karma opened her mouth to continue, the training room doors burst open with a loud bang, causing everyone to jump.

"There you are! The meeting's begun, and everyone is waiting on you, Karma," Fate yelled angrily into the room, breaking the silence that had fallen with a sledgehammer. "And bring those two, I guess. Clockwork insists they be there." She sneered before letting the doors fall shut behind her with a much quieter click.

"Well, there goes my attempt at delaying the inevitable," The female ghost admitted with a small smile and chuckle. "We should go before she comes back. Then we'll be in  _real_  trouble." Without any more warning, the red ghost began to herd them towards the door.

Not having too much choice in the matter, the ghost and human allowed themselves to be pushed forwards.

"I should warn you now, though, this will not be easy. Fate is not the only one against us, but even if she were, she holds a terrible sway over the Council. If we want even a chance at success, you both must be on your best behavior." She placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "No arguing or fighting of any kind will be permitted. You are only invited as observers, and as such do not—technically—have any say in discussed matters."

Dan scoffed, his face scrunched in indignation, "We have no say, even though  _we're_ the ones who are going to be risking everything to fight at the forefront of this war? What kind of bullshit is that?"

Valerie couldn't help but agree, even though she remained silent.

"I know, it is not fair, but that is simply how the Council works. I am sorry Dan, Valerie, I truly am." Her voice and face conveyed the truth of her statement.

All too soon, they reached the double doors of their destination. "Ready?" the red ghost asked as she braced a hand against the wood of the door.

Dan and Valerie glanced at each other—one last look that they both knew this needed to work. A silent agreement passed between them that they would be on their best behavior possible.

"Yes," they answered at the same time.

Karma smiled like a proud parent and pushed inwards.

The doors swung open silently to reveal a room full of all sorts of different kinds of ghosts seated about a round table. Clockwork and Fate sat facing the door, and as the human and ghost entered, all eyes turned to them.

Valerie recognized only a few faces, and some were welcome. She nodded slightly to Frostbite and Clockwork. Others not so much, she glared at Nocturn, who returned it with a coy smile, and Fate, who glowered darkly back at her. The rest were strangers to her.

Irony sat just to the left of Fate with one of the Observants next to her.

A rather sickly looking male ghost with blue skin and a green crown peered at her down his nose. He was one of the few ghosts to have a visible difference between his iris, pupil and sclera. His stringy, gray hair did nothing for his complexion and clashed horribly with his ratted black cloak and bright purple tunic.

Beside him sat a beautiful woman with blonde hair, green skin and red eyes. Her blue dress complimented her perfectly, and Valerie hoped that she wasn't that other ghost's wife. How awful it would be for the girl to live with him. At least she wasn't peering at Valerie like she was dirt on her boot.

At a table by himself was a rather bland-looking ghost with scruffy black hair, a scraggly beard and a gray scarf wrapped around his equally gray neck. he sat with a computer in front of him but wasn't looking at Valerie at all, no instead he was rather fearfully fixed on Dan. As she turned to peer at her partner in crime, so-to-speak, he was smirking widely enough to include both sides of his mouth, red eyes glittering with dark amusement.

Elbowing him, she got his attention, and amusement faded from him like a light switch.

"Thank you, Karma, for joining us and bringing with you our two Champions." Clockwork gestured towards the empty seat to the right of him. "Now if you would please take your seats, we may begin." Karma floated around the back of the chairs to her seat, leaving Dan and Valerie to sit side-by-side at the two open chairs closest to the door.

"My apologies for my late arrival, I was unaware we had begun the proceedings," Karma said as she gracefully took her seat.

The sickly ghost scoffed, "How typical of a woman to be late. We have been waiting to begin for quite some time now. Unlike some, I have a country to run, and my time is valuable."

Valerie bit her tongue so hard she feared it would bleed. It wouldn't be good at all for her to cause a scene here.

"Be calm, Aragon. I too have my own people to lead and I can assure you, time does not pass the same here as it does elsewhere in the realms," Frostbite spoke up, and it was only through the close contact she'd spent with the snow beast that she could hear the anger in his normally soothing voice.

"We have delayed long enough. Let us get down to the reason this Council meeting has been called to order," Clockwork commanded, the butt of his scepter crashing into the marble floor and echoing throughout the room. "Council is now in session. I called this meeting for one purpose. As I am sure everyone here is aware, Pariah Dark has returned. He is as powerful as before, if not more so, and a plan must be enacted to stop him." He paused for a moment for dramatic effect. "I have taken the liberty of taking steps in the direction of the best plan. Hence why we have two extra guests sitting in on this meeting. For those who may not know them by face, this is Valerie Gray, the Ghost Slayer and Dan Phantom, the Ravager of Worlds."

All eyes turned to them, and Valerie held her chin a little higher and straightened her spine. But after a moment, she realized eyes were not on her, but the ghost beside her, and none of them looked friendly.

A seed of anger took root in her stomach, not out of jealousy for being overlooked, but rather in defence of Dan.

"Yes, Clockwork, we all know why we're here. To listen to you preach your match making game plan to the Council as if it were a legitimate strategy," Fate spoke derisively. "What kind of viable plan is pitting two mortal enemies, who couldn't stand the sight of each other against one of the most powerful ghosts the Zone has ever seen?"

"I agree; this plan seems wholly foolhardy," Aragon spoke up, while the blonde woman at his side sat silently, eyes drawn down into her lap.

"I can assure you, as can Frostbite and Karma, that much has changed between young Dan and Valerie during their stay here." Clockwork insisted.

"Surely not enough change for Phantom to consider saving the world instead of destroying it?" the observant questioned with a skeptic tone.

"Well, I would not be so sure. Surprisingly, I find myself on Clockwork's side on this one," Nocturne grinned slyly, nothing but ill intent behind his words as he locked eyes with Valerie. "I have evidence of my own that our 'Champions' aren't quite the enemies they wish everyone to believe."

The Huntress glared viciously at the dream ghost while futilely fighting a blush. He only grinned wider, as he steepled his long, clawed fingers and rested his elbows on the table.

"Please, don't be ridiculous, Nocturn," Fate spat as she pushed herself up from her seat. "I can't believe we even need to have this meeting for something so simple." Her white gaze fixed itself firmly on Dan's face. "Dan Phantom was created by my hand personally, and I took great care with crafting him into a villain more than capable of conquering every existing realm. To think that he would be softened so easily is an insult to both his character and  _mine._ " She began to walk around the table behind Irony, Aragon, and the woman in blue.

Her sclera darkened to black, leaving a white ring around an equally dark pupil. Her white mohawk seemed to float weightlessly, revealing her other eye to be a milky white with a jagged scar running through the middle of it. The air became charged with the static electricity that came with ghostly powers and Valerie's heart began to speed up. This ghost was doing something, but the young woman couldn't be sure of what it was, and that worried her more than anything.

Turning to Dan, Valerie noticed with horror that he sat in a trance state, red eyes glazed over and eyes half closed. Grabbing his arm, and shaking him did nothing. He just continued to stare listlessly ahead. "Dan, snap out of it! Dan!  _Dan!_ " Valerie whispered, desperate to bring him back to awareness.

"Now, Dan, show them who you truly are," Fate demanded with a terrible echo to her voice as she stopped behind the villainous ghost.

Reaching out, she put one hand over his head and instantly white flames sprang to life, wreathing Phantom's body entirely. He roared with fury as the red of his irises bled to the whites of his eyes, and a second set of fangs extended from his gums.

A smile revealing her upper and bottom fangs stretched her face in a demonic way. "Now that's better."

* * *

**I realized I haven't had a cliffhanger in a while. Fate is such a bitch and I love it.**

**Nocturn is so much fun to write, I hope I did him justice!**

**Thanks for reading, leave a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	13. Savior- The Council Meeting (Part 2)

**Hello! I'm sorry there has been such a long delay in between this chapter and the last! School really took over my priority and as a result I will be finally graduating University on June 1st! But I also have good news, I have started a Dark Gray comic as well! Here is the link and I would greatly appreciate anyone who decides to support this work![ Imperium](https://imperium-comic-dp.tumblr.com/)**

**All anon replies are in my profile!**

**Please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Dan doubled over onto the table, his fingers clawing deep into the dark wood. His breaths came in short gasps, ands he continued to groan and growl in what Valerie could only imagine was pain.

"Are you  _mad_?" Aragon exclaimed, fear in his voice. " The last thing we need is the villainous  _Dan Phantom_  rampaging around the room!" Aragon exclaimed, fear evident in his voice.

Valerie was frozen in terror and shock as she watched her arch enemy start to revert back to his psychotic ways.

"Fate, stop this at once!" the Observant cried in squeaky terror.

Her heart raced as adrenaline flooded her system.

His blood red eyes turned to her as if hearing her heart beat. But in the moment, their eyes met. Valerie was stunned to see that there was no psychotic evil in them. Instead, there was fear and pain.

"… _Aall I got was a beating while you and that Karma stood and watched." He turned back to face her fully, eyes alit with fury. "Where was your precious morality then? Sitting back and watching me get tossed around like a rag doll get you off?"_

His voice echoed in her head of the last encounter they'd had with Fate.

Her resolve hardened as she activated her battle suit and pulled out her gun, aiming point blank at the black- clad ghost's temple. "Let him go," Valerie threatened Fate, " or I swear you'll be picking up the remains of your head with a sponge." Valerie threatened Fate. She could feel the eyes of every ghost on her body as the now enraged ghost turned to her with agonizing slowness and fixed her mis-colored eyes on the Red Huntress.

"You dare threaten me, human?" the mohawked ghost hissed with a snarl, and time seemed to slow as she raised her other hand, palm towards the young woman.

Recognizing this as the preferred form for a ghost ray, Valerie prepared to dodge.

As the hand began to glow, the Huntress realized she would not move in time. She could only hope her battered suit would be able to take the hit.

A flame- wreathed hand grasped Fate's the black gloved palm, and in a movement almost too fast to see, pushed it to the side as a green- skinned body placed itself between human and ghost.

"You will not manipulate me." Ddan spoke in an eerily echoinged voice as Fate was flung across the room and into the wall. Her body hit with enough force to crater around her figure perfectly.

Silence permeated the room, all the ghosts present watching with caution and fear as the white flames around Ddan's form slowly died out and his eyes returned to normal. His broad shoulders heaved with heavy breath for a moment before his legs collapsed from underneath him.

Valerie's body moved before she could think as she reached out to catch him as he fell. But he was too heavy, and with a cry of surprise, they both fell down, him on top of her body. that she used to dampen the blow.

Pandemonium erupted in the room.

Aragorn and the Observant at once began berating Clockwork while Karma and Irony rushed to Fate's side. and Frostbite appeared next to Valerie and Dan.

"What the hell happened?" Valerie demanded breathlessly as the snow beast helped to lift Dan's dead weight from her chest.

"I am afraid I do not know, my dear, but I do know this." Hhis yellow gaze sadly met her own. , "Fate's display has not helped our side."

"But he protected me! He only acted out of defense of meto defend me!" Valerie cried. , not understanding and desperate.

"Yes, but every ghost here fears him like no other. For Fate to demonstrate what power he could possibly awaken, combined with his reputation and bloody history, I fear the others will never be able to see what change has occurred within him." The despair could be clearly heard in his rumbling voice as he directed his attention down to the ghost in need of his medical attention.

"Well, I have to say, this is by far the most interesting Council Meeting I have ever attended,." tThe raspy voice of Nocturn spoke from behind her. Dark, starlight accented tendrils appeared on either side of her legs.

Valerie turned to look way up into the smirking face of the dream ghost. Scowling, she ground out, "If you're not going to be any help, go away."

The tall ghost chuckled once again and knelt down to her level and placed a hand over Dan's head. Valerie watched very carefully, with her hand on her ecto knife, more than ready to remove the ghost of his hand should anything bad happen. "He is fine. H, his brain activity is normal, and there is no damage that I can see." The ghost tilted his head in curiosity. , "What I do find interesting, Frostbite, is that Fate's attempt to change him back had no hold on him."

"What are you saying?" Valerie demanded before the snow beast could respond. Nocturn turned to her, grinning widely. It was at this point that Valerie realized he had a small goatee.

"What I am saying, is that our frightful Dan Phantom appears to have changed beyond her influence. His recent thoughts are wholly different than during his initial assault upon our lands. Nothing but conquest and joy in the suffering of others occupied his mind. The turmoil that was once present has subsided."

A grin split his face revealing two sharp fangs., "Now I see that he is much like a child who is coming to understand the world around him, questioning all that he once thought he knew." Nocturn turned to Valerie., "It seems your influence over him was highly underestimated, young Ghost Slayer."

V alerie blushed up to her ears, but before she had a chance to respond, an a shrill, angry female voice rang out through the room. " _Dan Phantom!"_  it cried shrilly, and everyone turned to see Irony, eyes glowing and short hair floating above her head. A chill ran through the Red Huntress as she reached for her blaster once more.  _"You will pay dearly for what you have done here today."_  Her voice echoed with terrible promise, and it was probably a very good thing that the male ghost would not be able to hear her.

" We should remove Dan from these premises and to a room where he can recover easily." Frostbite then put both arms underneath the unconscious ghost and lifted him easily into the air. Valerie followed suit and madeking sure to keep the absolutely furious green- haired ghost in her gaze.

Karma restrained her , with an arm around her slim shoulders while Fate began to pull herself out of the crater. The blue ghost's eyes had returned to their usual color and pupil-less state and as they met with Valerie's aquamarine ones. A, a smirk of victory stretched her mouth upwards.

* * *

Valerie sat diligently at the bedside of the comatose Dan. He had yet to reawaken, but after a quick phsycialphysical check up to assure there was no injuries, and a more thorough head scan from the ghost known as Nocturn, he was perfectly fine. The fact that he refused to wake up—Valerie hated to admit it—worried her.

Sitting by his bedside, the Ghost Slayer wrung her hands nervously. What if he woke up and everything was gone, and he was once again the monster from her nightmares? That thought struck her hard, and she widened her eyes in disbelief.

Resting her head on her chest, Valerie carefully sifted through her thoughts. She no longer considered him the monster… when had that happened. After all he had done, after all the people he had murdered, the histories and cultures he had destroyed.…

She didn't see him as the bad guy anymore.

Her hands started to shake as she gripped them tightly, fingers interlocked with each other. What was happening? , Eeverything she had known was once again being turned inside out and upside down.

He had jumped between her and Fate without hesitation. He had healed her and saved Jazz, the latter causing massive amounts of stress on his own healing factor.

"Goddammit, you bastard. Why do you constantly make my life so difficult?" Valerie cursed at him before reaching out to tightly grasp his hand resting outside the blanket. "You had better not start trying to kill me again when you wake up."

She squeezed his hand tighter. The shaking in her hand wasn't fear; , it was tension. Or at least that's what she told herself.

It seemed she couldn't even lie to herself anymore.

* * *

(Frostbite)

Upon returning to the Council room, Frostbite was met by absolute chaos.

The Observants and Aragon were berating an angry looking Clockwork, while Karma and Irony surrounded an equally irritated looking Fate.

NotcurnNocturn sat at the table watching the pandemonium unfold, his long fingers steepled over his chest. It almost looked like he was  _enjoying_  the bedlam occurring all around him.

The only other ghost that seemed to be taking no part was Dora, Aragon's younger sister. She was glancing nervously around the room, her hands clasped daintily in her lap. Not wanting to get caught up in any of the drama, Frostbite approached the young female ghost.

"It would appear that, as the humans would say, the 'brown has splattered the fan,''." Frostbite stated with pride. He was sure that was the correct saying.

Her red eyes turned up towards him, confusion furrowing her brow, even as an amused smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she replied, "I am not sure that is the correct use of that phrase."

The easy grin faltered only for a moment as he carefully sat his bulk into a chair beside the green ghost. The chair whined under his weight only for a moment before it fell silent and supported his large frame. "Well, even if it is not, the situation is not any better, is it?" Frostbite asked rhetorically as they both took a moment to gaze around the room.

Chaos still ran rampant, Clockwork continuing to fend off his two accusers who refused to let up. Fortunately, Karma seemed to be having more success in calming down her two sisters. If Frostbitehe were being completely honest with himself, Irony worried him the most. Out of the three of them, she was by far the most immature and likely to do something rash and poorly thought out. The only problem was he had no way to predict what that might be.

"No, you are very correct, Frostbite. This has been nothing short of a disaster. I simply cannot see how PhnatomPhantom is to be our savior, m. Much with less the Ghost Slayer fighting by his side. H, how can we expect a human to have our best interests in mind?." Her delicate features furrowed in disgust., "Not to mention a human  _woman_. Clockwork is utterly mad to think this would work."

Frostbite's ears pricked upon hearing her derisive and doubtful tone. In his limited experience with the younger of the royal siblings, Dora was more open- minded. UnfortunatelyUnfortunately, that was not saying much, as her brother was as close minded as one could get.

"I am curious, what is your opinion of Valerie, my dear?" Ffrostbite inquired. Perhaps if the younger of the two siblings could be swayed, they might have another ally.

"She is known as the Ghost Slayer for good reason. She has slaughtered many of our kind., I find it beyond belief that you support her as greatly as you do, Frostbite. Has she not murdered your people too?" Ddora challenged, red eyes lighting with a righteous flame before shock overcame her features, and it died suddenly. Quickly, she averted her gaze back to her lap and once again refolded her hands daintlydaintily on her legs. "Forgive me, I did not mean to speak so boldly. It is not a woman's place to raise her voice in the presence of men."

Frostbite was taken aback., Dora was clearly passionate and knowledgableknowledgeable about her kingdom, but she was afraid to assert her opinion. Clearly this was Argaon'sAragon's abusive and sexist nature that had his younger sister terrified to use her own voice.

"It sounds to me like this is your brother talking, not Dora,." tThe wizened leader spoke gently, encouraging the younger ghost to feel comfortable speaking to him.

She looked up in surprise. , "I don't know of what you speak. M, my words are my own, I assure you, Frostbite."

"They may be your words, but they are your brother's opinions and ideals." He shifted to face her more fully., "What I want to hear is Dora's voice on her own thoughts. So tell me once again, what is your opinion of Valerie?"

She hesitated for a moment before finding her words, "I would never presume to talk so boldly about such things, but if you truly wish to know, I suppose I find her bold and strong- willed for a woman. To stand and speak her mind against such a being as Fate. It is quite unnatural. I do not have faith that she will be strong enough to withstand an assault against Pariah Dark."

Yellow eyes gazed sadly at the young female ghost who avoided his gaze. She was utterly brainwashed by her brother's ideas, her will bent to his. Sighing heavily, the white beast moved to stand from his seat. "I would recommend that you speak with Valerie at least once before you depart. , I believe you will find her much different than from how you perceive her." Frostbite leaned down to speak quietly as he stood., "You are far stronger than your brother leads you to believe, my dear. You do not always have to believe yield to him."

He could feel her eyes follow his back as he Frostbite went to defend an increasingly haggard looking Clockwork.

* * *

_(Dan)_

_Dan wandered aimlessly through the mindscape. A, a part of him thought he might be looking for Valerie, while another wondered how he might have gotten here in the first place. Normally, to get to this state was a conscious effort. He had to purposefully concentrate his will, but this time it seemed different. It was almost like he was… pulled here._

_Maybe Valerie was responsible for this? His power core thrummed a little more loudly, whether in excitement or fear, he wasn't sure._

" _Oh, there you are! I've been looking all over for you, silly!" a childish voice rang out over the void-like space, and Dan whipped his head up to spot the blue haired ghost Irony. She skipped weightlessly towards him, her feet never less than a few inches off the ground at all times._

" _You." His eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he took a more defensabledefensible position._

_The small ghost threw her arms up over her head, causing her oversized purple sweater to slide halfway down her arms., "Me!" she cried gleefully. Her smile heldolding something less savory than joy._

" _What are you doing here?" he asked, cautiously._

_Her hands lowered to clasp themselves behind her back., "Nothing really," she started to rock back and forth from her heels to her toes, "Just a little bit of housekeeping." She grinned widely with anything but good intentions._

_A chill ran down Dan's spine. This ghost was different than her two sisters. Karma was motherly, and while Fate was a bitch and cruel (, at least she was straightforward and blunt about it). Irony… there was something unstable and unpredictable about her._

" _Right, so what does that have to do with me?" Ddan crossed his arms over his chest._

" _I just wanted to chat, but others can be distracting, right? I just wanted it to be you and me. No one else. No Clockwork," she took a long step as she began to walk around him, "no Frostbite," Ddan turned his head to keep an eye on her, "and best of all—well best for me— " she completed her circuit around him, "no Valerie."_

_A heavy weight settled itself in his stomach. That statement should not have unnerved him like it did. He was used to being alone. T, that's whenre he was strongest… right?_

" _Then spit it out. Why am I here?" Ddan was tired of the games she seemed to be playing._

" _I told you, silly! I just want to chat!" she giggled. "I thought that when she made you merge with Plasmius that you wouldn't be so dumb anymore. Oopsie! I guess she was wrong!"_

_Dan snarled, his eyes glowing with his rage, "I am not dumb! I am aware you want to talk; , I want to know what you want to talk about! I'm leaving if you don't get to the point."_

_Irony began to giggle once again., "Oh silly, you can't leave!" Sshe abruptly brought her face directly in front of his., "I won't let you."_

" _Tch, you can try. I am the Ravager of Worlds., Nno ghost has been able to stand up to me." He shoved a finger directly between her eyes., "You are no exception." With that, he turned around and began to walk away. He made it a total of two steps before an unknown force slammed into his shoulders, buckling his knees under the sudden weight. Pure reflex was the only thing that kept him from slamming into the ground. His legs strained against the weight on his back._

" _Ohhh, you're still standing? I guess I went too easy on you!" Irony giggled a moment before the pressure increased, and Ddan was nearly pushed to his knees, muscles burning with the effort of staying upright. He would not bow to this tiny terror._

_Grinding his teeth, he pushed with all his strength against her power, and with a surge of his own power, he stood a little straighter and was able to meet her green eyes that twinkled with a dark glee. "You can't… control… me." He was able to grind out the one sentence._

_Irony put a finger on her lip and blinked innocently. , "But controlling people is what I do." She grinned maliciously as the force on his back increased to the point where he blacked out for a moment, only to wake up face- first on the floor. Two black stockinged feet were directly in front of his face. A sticky pool welled in his mouth, and in stubborn response, he spat it out at her feet._

_She jumped back with a cry of disgust and shock. In the next second, he was standing straight again, but he was acutely aware that it was not of his own accord. Dan's arms were pinned firmly at his sides, and it felt as if he were encased in a thick jelly. Irony continued to squirm and scrunch her face in repulsion._

" _Three Fates, that was so gross! How dare you disrespect me in that manner!" Ffor the first time, Irony appeared truly angered by something he'd done. Her eyes glowed white, and her short hair stuck up at all angles around her head. W, with a pull of her fingers, the force that held him, dragged him forward until the male ghost was once again face- to- face with Irony._

" _This has been the last straw, Dan Phantom." Llike her sisters, the purple- haired ghost's voice had a terrible echo. She placed a finger on his forehead directly between his eyes. It was frigidly cold, and it seemed to freeze his entire head. "For your unforgivable slights against me and my sister Fate, I curse you." The sensation of ice exploded in his brain, wrapping like tendrils around the very core of his being., "I curse you with loneliness. That you will never know true companionship with another being like yourself. With the knowledge that the onlyThe only person you will ever love,_ _ **is the one who hates you the most.**_ _"_

* * *

(Valerie)

Dan's temperature began to drop at an alarming rate, his breath a white cloud in the air. His hand clamped around hers, chaining her to him. Shit. Now she wasn't able to get help from anyone. She attempted to free herself, but he held fast.

"Dan," she shook his shoulder, her hand almost hissing upon contact with his skin. "Wwake up, for the love of god, wake up!" Valerie cried desperately.

Red eyes flew open in a panic as he bolted upright on the bed. Valerie saw stars when their foreheads collided with such force, she was sent careening backwards. Identical groans of pain emanated from ghost and human alike as the young woman began to gently rub her abused forehead.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?" she hissed as she sat against the side of the bed, her hand still firmly in Dan's grasp.

"It's not my fault you were hovering like a creep. Why were you so close?" Ddan questioned. her

"Your temperature was dropping like crazy, and for a ghost that's  _saying_  something! What the hell happened?" Valerie retorted hotly, somewhat embarrassed that he had caught her in her concern.

"It's none of your—wait.," Tthe ghost in question paused for a moment before he continued, the grin on his face, clear in his voice. , "Aare you saying you were worried about me? That Valerie Gray, the esteemed Red Huntress and Ghost Slayer, was worrying about me?"

"Shut up, I was not!" Sshe could not fight the blush that colored her face and neck.

"Awfully defensive there, Valerie. A, are you  _sure_?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm, I find that very hard to believe with you holding my hand as tightly as you are."

Valerie held up their joined hands.,  _"You're_  holding onto  _me!"_  she cried defensively and then winced when the pitch of her voice sent a spike of agony through her head, but she didn't fail to notice that he had yet to let go of her hand. "What happened to you anyways?" she asked significantly more quietly than before.

Dan grew silent, barely daring to breathe and all descernablediscernible movement stopped. In fact, he seemed to be colder yet again.

"Nothing."

Valerie furrowed her brow., "Nothing my ass.  _Something_  happened, otherwise you wouldn't be clamming up. Now spit it out."

"I said it was nothing,." hHe spat, defensive.

The Huntress sighed., "Look, we need to learn how to work together to defeat Pariah, and if you keep shit bottled up like this, you risk it bursting from you in an inopportune moment and putting us  _both_  in danger." She looked up over her shoulder to find him avoiding her gaze by turning his head in the opposite direction. , "I'm asking as someone who wants to help, not mock you."

There was a brief moment of hesitation in him. It was tToo small to have been noticed by anyone that did not know him, but just enough that Valerie picked up on it.

" _Nothing happened."_  His hand clenched hers tightly before realizing he still had a hold on her and then promptly dropped it like her hand had burned him.

Sighing once again, Valerie pulled herself to her feet. "Sometimes, I really hate you when you pull shit like this." Readjusting her clothes, she turned around to find Dan staring at her with something akin to sadness. It looked out of place on his face entirely. She would have never thought Ddan capable of  _pouting_. "I'm gonna go punch things and pretend it's a bunch of those pompous ghosts. Want to join me?" Sshe was extending anextended the offer before she could stop herself.

A familiar grin tugged at the corner of his mouth., "Absolutely."

"Well, hurry up then and get your lazy ass out of bed."

"Wwho's the one who can phase through solid objects again?" Ddan asked rhetorically as the blankets and sheets fell back to the bed through his legs. "Oh right, me. You're already behind, Valerie." With that, he floated past her and through the door.

Rolling her eyes, she went to pull on the door only to find it stuck. Tugging harder, it refused to budge. Putting all her strength into trying to pry the door open did nothing, but make it bend inwards and groan loudly in protest of this abuse.

"What's the matter, Valerie? Can't you open the door? We don't have all day, you know." Dan's teasing voice lilted through the solid wood, and realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Dan, let go of the door."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not holding the door. Maybe it's just stuck. This place is a little rundown." The lilt was still clearly in his voice.

"Goddammit! Either let me open the door or phase me through it yourself!" Valerie cried throwing her arms up in the air and taking a step away from the door.

There was a beat of silence as Dan considered the options she had presented. Much to her surprise, a hand appeared through the wood. "Only if you say 'please,''." he said He intoned lowly.

"You're not gonna leave me halfway phased through the door, are you?"

"Well now that you put the idea in my head…"

"Dan!"

He chuckled deeply, and the sound of it dropped a heavy unknown weight into her stomach. Is that how a grown Ddanny would have laughed?

"While I would enjoy putting wood in you, it would not be like this." The dark amusement practically oozed through the solid entity between them.

Valerie rolled her eyes so dramatically, she feared they would lodge in the back of her head as she slapped her hand into his., "You're disgusting,." sShe retorted as she was abruptly pulled forward, and with the sensation of going through jello, Valerie passed through the door. She reached an abrupt stop against a cold, hard surface. Looking up she met the crimson gaze of Ddan.

There was a beat of silence as they stared at each other. A playful smile lifteding the side of Dan's face and madeking him appear slightly lopsided. "There, that wasn't so bad was it?" he teased her. Moment broken and wanting to get on with the cathartic process of violence, Valerie tore her hand from his with a grimace and began to walk down the hall.

"I hate you,." sShe called over her shoulder, but there was no real intent behind it. At this point, it was almost just a reflexive action.

"I hate you too!" he called back, amusement still clear in his deep voice.

* * *

(Frostbite)

"Clockwork, this farce ends now. Fate has more than proven your idea to be lacking and poorly thought out. There is no possible way the Ghost Slayer and the Angel of Death will ever be able to work together to defeat Pariah Dark." The Oobservant representative placed his hands on the table as he addressed those present.

Frostbite switched his yellow gaze to The Master of Time to find him aged to an old man, slouching in his seat, gaze drawn to the table in a defeated glare. The white beast beheld him with sadness. T, this meeting had gone even more poorlyworse than he could have imagined. Switching to the white- haired ghost of Fate, his gaze hardened into a fierce glare.

The blue ghost also sat back in her chair, arms crossed and a grumpy, disgusted frown on her face. She had been much more trouble than he ever could have imagined. Manipul;atingManipulating Dan in the way that she did was completely unforeseen by any of them, Karma included.

"I believe I rule in the majority favor when I say that this decision shall now be put to a vote." The observant gazed around the table with his unblinking eye, meeting every ghost's stare. "All in favor, raise your hand."

Without hesitation, Frostbite lifted his mighty paw. He watched with ever growing despair as only Karma and Clockwork did the same. The rest remained unmoving.

"And those against?" the Observant called out. The remaining six members each put up their hands.

Defeat settled heavily in his stomach, cold and unyielding.

"It is decided. Council meeting adjourned."

* * *

**Ohhhh this is a major turning point here! I hope you all enjoyed!**

**Thanks for reading and please drop me a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


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